The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) and Mahlabathini detectives have apprehended a 69-year-old parolee for the unlawful possession of explosives.

The arrest took place at the weekend, following a tip-off that alerted police to suspicious activities involving explosive materials at a local homestead.

Acting swiftly on the intelligence, law enforcement officials from the Richards Bay Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit joined forces with local detectives to execute a coordinated search of the suspect’s residence in Mahlabathini.

The operation proved fruitful as authorities uncovered a substantial cache of dangerous items, including 41 blasting cartridges and three electric detonators.

The crime scene was promptly processed by the Richards Bay Explosives Unit alongside the Ulundi Local Criminal Record Centre, ensuring that all evidence was meticulously collected and documented.

Following the seizure of the explosives, the suspect was arrested without incident, and a preliminary investigation revealed his troubling criminal background. The individual was previously sentenced to 95 years in prison for a cash-in-transit robbery that transpired in Camperdown in 2001, but was released on parole in 2018.

Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo, said the accused’s parole officer has been notified, and the necessary steps to address the parolee’s unauthorised possession of explosives are being initiated.

The suspect is set to appear in the Mahlabathini Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Major General (Dr) Lesetja Senona, the Provincial Head of the KwaZulu-Natal Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commended the Hawks and their partners for their swift and effective action.

“This operation exemplifies our commitment to ensuring public safety and our determination to tackle organised crime head-on,” he stated.

IOL

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