Police Seize Three Illegal Firearms in Mqanduli, Two Suspects Arrested
Viable News Team 
Image Credit: SAPS
An intelligence-driven police operation in Mqanduli, Eastern Cape, has led to the recovery of three unlicensed firearms and the arrest of two suspects in the early hours of Sunday, 10 August 2025.
According to the OR Tambo District Commissioner, Major General Norman Modishana, members of the OR Tambo District Task Team acted swiftly on intelligence, executing search warrants at two separate homes in the Mcombothi locality.
In the first operation at around 03:30, officers recovered a shotgun with ammunition and a .303 assault rifle with ammunition from the home of a 60-year-old man. Neither firearm was licensed. The suspect was immediately arrested and charged with two counts of possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Just 30 minutes later, police moved to a second property in the same area, where they found a 24-year-old man in possession of a 9mm pistol with its serial number filed off, along with ammunition. He was arrested on similar charges.
Major General Modishana praised his team for their swift and effective action:
“It took less than an hour to recover three illegal firearms. We are intensifying our intelligence-driven operations with the intent of fighting the proliferation of illegal firearms in the district.”
The two suspects are expected to appear in the Mqanduli Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 11 August 2025.
Police have reaffirmed their commitment to removing illegal weapons from communities, warning that illegal firearm possession remains a serious offence that will be met with decisive action.
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