The South African Police Service (SAPS) destroyed 18,077 firearms, firearm components, and ammunition in Vanderbijlpark on Thursday.
Among the destroyed firearms were those used in various criminal activities, including cash-in-transit armed robberies, gender-based violence, and femicide (GBVF) cases. These firearms were used in cases that have already concluded in court.
This marked the second firearm destruction process of the 2023/2024 financial year, following the destruction of over 15,000 firearms in July 2023. These firearms were either seized during crime prevention operations, voluntarily surrendered, or forfeited to the State.
According to police, through their newly instated programme, OPERATION SHANELA, over 4,000 illegal firearms, including handguns, shotguns, and rifles were seized. This operation, which was started in May 2023, has led to the arrest of more than 10,000 suspects for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, including contraventions of the Firearms Control Act.
The number of firearms destroyed per province:
- Eastern Cape = 1429
- Free State = 1400
- Gauteng = 3389
- Kwazulu-Natal = 2662
- Limpopo = 1094
- Mpumalanga = 1300
- Northern Cape = 577
- North West = 656
- Western Cape = 3183
- Division SCM = 2387
Police have emphasized that these firearms underwent ballistic testing to determine any link to other serious crimes before being destroyed.
“The South African Police Service continues to intensify its operations to detect and remove illegal firearms and ammunition in circulation towards a safer and secure environment for all.”
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