The relentless efforts of the South African Police Service (SAPS) to combat the proliferation of illegal firearms had once again yielded positive results, following an interprovincial cooperation, which resulted in the arrest of four men and the recovery of two illegal firearms with assortment of ammunition last night.
On Saturday evening, 29 November 2025, members from the SAPS Crime Intelligence (Western Cape) relayed the information to the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Eastern Cape, about a white VW Polo with four male occupants believed to be in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. The white VW Polo from Vredenburg was said to be in transit to the Eastern Cape, and members attached to the Sarah Baartman District Task Team operationalised the information. At about 20:35, the vehicle fitting the description was spotted in Graaff-Reinet with four (04) male occupants, and members managed to stop it at Parsonage Street.
The vehicle was searched, and inside a cubbyhole compartment (glove box), police found a plastic container with seventeen (17) live rounds of ammunition. Members also found two unlicenced 9mm pistols with ammunition stashed inside the pockets of a navy jacket that was hanging on the driver’s headrest. In addition to the ammunition in the magazines, there was a plastic bag with forty seven (47) rounds of ammunition, which was found inside the jacket.
The four occupants were nabbed and charged for possession of unlicenced firearm and ammunition (two counts). Police have also confiscated the vehicle for further investigation.
The detectives are currently processing, and profiling the four (04) men, and there is a possible linkage in at least one serious crime in the Western Cape. The suspects aged between 32 and 35 are due to appear before the Graaff-Reinet Magistrate’s court soon.
