POLICE in Cape Town found a huge supply of firearms hidden in a warehouse in the Malmesbury area on Thursday night, 6 February.
According to cops, a 62-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident.
Police spokeswoman Brigadier Novela Potelwa said cops comprising crime scene experts, organised crime and Hawks detectives, firearms and explosives experts, as well as local police, spent two days searching for the arms cache.
Among the discovered weapons are 44 firearms (comprising nine rifles, handguns, a cannon and pistols), 11 firearm parts and two full light duty vehicle loads of an assortment of rounds of ammunition.
Potelwa said police also found substantial quantities of gunpowder and numerous boxes used for the storage of firearm magazines.
The discovery of the arms cache and the arrest of the suspect came after cops received a tip-off.
“Malmesbury police followed up on information in the area which led them to a locked-up warehouse in an industrial area in Malmesbury on the West Coast on Thursday. They uncovered an arms cache comprising rifles, 9mm pistols, an assortment of rounds of ammunition and other heavy weapon artillery. A 62-year-old suspect was subsequently arrested,” said Potelwa.
Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile applauded cops for the discovery, and raised his concerns about the prevalence of guns in communities.
“With communities plagued by the incidence of gun violence, it is envisaged that through investigations that are currently underway, some explanations will emerge as police strive to create safer communities,” he said.
Cops are still investigating to find out the origins of the firearms, ammunition and gunpowder.
Officers are still keeping their sights on other premises in the area for the possibility of more arrests.
Potelwa said the suspect from the Tierfontein area, a naturalised South African of German descent, is charged with possession of unlicensed firearms, ammunition and in terms of aspects of the Firearms Control Act.
He is expected to appear in the Malmesbury Magistrates Court on Monday, 20 February.
