Durban - KwaZulu-Natal police have from March 13 to 20 recovered 89 firearms and arrested 2252 suspects for crimes ranging from murder, attempted murder and robberies.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said continuous police operations, in a period of a week, resulted in the successful recovery of 68 pistols, 10 rifles, four shotguns and seven home-made firearms.
He said 1418 rounds of ammunition of various calibres were also seized.
“Thirty four suspects were arrested for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Over 2 500 tablets of an assortment of drugs, including mandrax, heroin and ecstasy were also recovered during the operations,” said Netshiunda.
According to Netshiunda of the arrested suspects, 757 were arrested for contact crimes, while 47 suspects were put behind bars in connection with cases of murder.
“Thirty two suspects were arrested in relation to cases of attempted murder and 49 suspected robbers were cornered and nabbed for robbery with aggravating circumstances, house and business robberies as well as car-jacking,” he said.
With regard to cases perpetrated against women and children, Netshiunda said 64 suspects were busted for rape and 49 people were also arrested as a result of transgression of the Domestic Violence Act.
KZN Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi commended the police officers for the successful execution of the provincial operations amid added responsibilities of having to ensure police visibility for the protest on Monday.
Mkhwanazi said although the week was busy, dedicated police officers ensured that criminals felt their presence on the streets.
“The removal of 89 firearms from wrong hands will definitely prevent some murders which could have been committed using those firearms. We have a responsibility of ensuring the safety and security of residents and we shall continue to operationalise intelligence and infiltrate crime-ridden areas to remove all criminal elements from our communities,” he said.