Durban — Police have arrested a wanted attempted murder suspect who was carrying a rifle and ammunition.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said that an intelligence-driven operation involving members of the Rapid Rail Police Unit and the Provincial Investigations and Tracking Task Team yielded positive results when a 32-year-old suspect was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
He said that police were acting on information when they intercepted a vehicle at Shongweni Dam on Friday.
“Preliminary investigation led the investigating team to the suspect's residence in the Shongweni area where an R5 rifle and ammunition of various calibre including those of an AK47 assault rifle were found. The firearm had its serial number filed off and is suspected to be police property.
“The profiling of the suspect confirmed that he was on the police’s wanted list for attempted murder which he allegedly committed in Mariannhill in October 2022,” Netshiunda said.
Netshiunda said that the suspect is expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday (December 28).
Meanwhile, in August this year, the Daily News reported that while police say the accused suspected to be linked to a mass shooting in Savannah Park were each found in possession of a firearm, during their bail application the suspects said the firearms were found in the house they were in.
The three, Njabulo Mchunu, 31, Comfort Ngubo 22, and Nicolas Sphamandla Hadebe, 24, were granted bail in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court.
Magistrate Wendalynn Robinson granted Ngubo and Hadebe R8 000 bail each and set Mchunu's bail at R10 000.
It also emerged that the three firearms found in possession of the accused were stolen – with one allegedly being a SAPS shotgun taken in a robbery when a police vehicle was burnt during the July 2021 unrest.
Warrant Officer Eric Maphare said when Hadebe was arrested he was found in possession “of a stolen police shotgun” relating to a Pinetown SAPS robbery case where a police vehicle was also torched during the July unrest.
Daily News