Police are investigating how a 39-year-old man came into possession of a firearm belonging to a Gqeberha-based private security company.
Police arrested the man in Robert Sobukwe Town formerly known as Graaff-Reinet on Tuesday. Preliminary investigations indicate the recovered firearm belongs to a Gqeberha-based private security company. Strikingly, at the time of the suspect’s arrest, the weapon had not yet been reported as stolen by the company.
The 39-year-old man is due to appear before the Robert Sobukwe Town Magistrate’s court soon for the illegal possession of a firearm. Police said they successfully removed an unlicensed weapon from the streets following a tactical stop-and-search combat operation in a known violent crime hotspot.
Police on patrol
Police said members of the Robert Sobukwe Town Crime Prevention Unit and the District Tactical Team (DTT) were conducting high-visibility crime prevention patrols.
“While moving through the Umasizakhe location, the operational teams spotted a suspicious-looking man and immediately intercepted him.Police officers requested permission to conduct a search and subsequently discovered an unlicensed firearm concealed on his body,” Police said.
According to police the firearm will undergo comprehensive ballistic testing to determine if it has been linked to any of the violent crimes previously reported. Police management commended the vigilant boots on the ground initiative for their proactive intervention, emphasizing that every illegal firearm seized directly prevents potential loss of life in our communities.
Crime statistics
During the third quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year, police reported that 1,590 handguns, 85 homemade firearms, 151 rifles, 81 shotguns and 24,753 rounds of various calibre of ammunition was seized during police operations. In February 2026, police reported that 13,859 firearms were destroyed. Police said this brings the total number of firearms destroyed over the past seven years to 305,934.
