In a crackdown on illegal firearms, the Western Cape police have arrested eight suspects following an intelligence-driven operation in Bellville. 

This operation not only highlights the ongoing battle against organised crime in South Africa but also raises critical questions about the effectiveness of policing strategies in curbing the flow of illegal weapons into communities.

Western Cape police reported that early Monday morning, members of the Provincial Operational Coordination Combat Team carried out an intelligence-driven operation at a Bellville flat. During the search, a substantial consignment of firearms was confiscated.

Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said preliminary information revealed that the firearms had been transported from KwaZulu-Natal to Cape Town. 

“During the search, the members seized six AK-47 rifles and eight 9mm pistols with ammunition. The suspects were unable to produce valid firearm licences or permits for the weapons,” Traut said. 

“As a result, eight adult male suspects were arrested for the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.”

Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police chairperson Ian Cameron lauded the arrest and seizure. 

“This is a significant operational success that shows the value of intelligence-led policing and coordinated action against organised criminal networks. Firearms of this nature drive much of the violent crime and gang warfare that devastates communities, particularly in the Western Cape,” Cameron said. 

However, he noted that intelligence capacity within the South African Police Service (SAPS) has been unstable for years, and consistent oversight is needed to ensure it is rebuilt and effectively applied. 

Cameron emphasised that arrests and firearm seizures must be followed by thorough investigations, prosecution-led case building, and ultimately convictions in court. Otherwise, syndicates will simply re-arm and regroup.

“The committee will continue to demand accountability from SAPS management, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), and the National Prosecuting Authority to ensure this case and others like it lead to successful convictions higher up the criminal value chain, not only the foot soldiers,” Cameron said. 

“The safety of communities in both KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape depends on closing the supply lines of illegal weapons, dismantling organised networks, and restoring public trust in policing.”

Fight Against Crime SA executive director Jay Jay Idel said AK-47 rifles are prohibited in South Africa because they are fully automatic and designed for war, not civilian use. 

“The rifles seized in Bellville appear to be brand new, which confirms that a transnational syndicate is supplying high-calibre firearms into South Africa. SAPS must investigate this as a matter of urgency,” Idel said. 

Idel highlighted that the firearms are typically linked to extortion and taxi-related violence, where heavy firepower is used to enforce control. Alarmingly, these are now permeating street gangs throughout the Cape Flats. 

“This is not just a policing issue anymore; unfortunately, only the government is under the illusion that it is. Criminals are better armed than the police. Talk about being outmatched,” Idel explained. 

He further explained that firearms are the predominant weapon used in the majority of gang and extortion-related murders in Cape Town. Every illegal gun on the street fuels the murder rate and increases the risk to innocent residents. 

“Just earlier today (Tuesday) in Samantha Street, Lentegeur, someone was shot and killed. A firearm was used,” Idel added. 

KZN Violence Monitor Mary de Haas said: “If they’re all illegal guns, they’re a drop in the ocean. The whole place is full of hitmen armed with AK-47s.” 

She noted significant controversy surrounding the seized firearms. The origin of the seized weapons and their official records are unclear, as authorities reportedly use their own ballistics experts, she was told.

thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za

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