POTCHEFSTROOM - Police operations in Tlhabane and Mooinooi have led to the arrest of several suspects and the confiscation of firearms and ammunition in an effort to curb serious and violent crimes.

According to South African Police Service, the first significant arrest was made in Tlhabane on Thursday, 11 July 2024, when local Visible Policing and a Designated Police Officer, in collaboration with Rustenburg Crime Intelligence, searched multiple addresses in the Reutlwile Informal Settlement. While initial searches were fruitless, subsequent efforts at Reutlwile Zone 2 and Zone 3 led to arrests. In Zone 2, a 32-year-old man was detained after a silver 9mm pistol and ammunition were discovered in his rented room. Another operation in Zone 3 found a licensed 9mm pistol along with two magazines and 36 rounds of ammunition; however, the owner was fined for illegal liquor dealings.

Further actions in Mooinooi, near Brits, on Friday, 12 July 2024, involved a crime intelligence-driven operation where a 43-year-old suspect was arrested at Majakaneg village after allegedly selling a firearm. The buyer, found at a mine hostel, was arrested for possessing the firearm and two rounds of ammunition without a license.

Both firearms from these incidents are slated for ballistic testing. The suspects involved are expected to face the Bafokeng and Brits Magistrates' Courts on Monday, 15 July 2024, for charges related to the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, the North West Provincial Commissioner, praised the diligent efforts of the teams involved in these operations for their role in removing dangerous weapons from circulation.