Staff Reporter
AT LEAST one Namibian truck driver was among four suspects arrested by the South African Police Service (SAPS) for illegal possession of firearms.
The suspects were caught transferring a bag containing eight AK-47 assault rifles and seven empty magazines from a Namibia-registered Volvo truck to a Mazda sedan.
The arrests were carried out on Tuesday morning at Magaliesburg, about 70 kilometres west of Johannesburg.
According to SAPS, police officers patrolling on the R24 noticed the Volvo truck parked on the side of the road with the Mazda sedan behind it.
Officers observed two men carrying a mielie bag from the truck into the boot of the Mazda and moved in swiftly. A search of the bag revealed the old rusty rifles and the magazines.
“All four suspects were arrested and charged with possession of unlicensed firearms,” said the South African police, adding that the suspects will be profiled and the firearms sent for ballistic testing to establish if they were used in any crimes.
The provenance of the guns has not yet been established.
However, Namibia-registered trucks have featured in several past seizures, with smugglers exploiting commercial cargo routes to conceal weapons.
The long Namibia-South Africa border is a known transit route for illicit assault rifles and small arms, which are often smuggled southward from neighbouring countries through Namibia, then trafficked into South Africa where demand from criminal gangs is high.
Photos: SAPS.
