South African community police bust drug cartel, seize firearms, munitions, explosives

Gauteng Commissioner of Police, Lt-Gen. Elias Mawela, has commended the tireless efforts of the Crime Intelligence units in the Province that recently, consistently led to significant breakthroughs in the strife to reduce the volumes of crime in Gauteng.

In the latest intelligence-driven operation, members of the Johannesburg Central Crime Intelligence were, on Monday, bust a drug cartel following up on information of drug-dealing at a residential complex in Winchester Hills in the Booysens policing precinct.

In a release by Office of the Provisional Commissioner Gauteng of the south African Police Service, it said that “The team spotted the two vehicles of interest pull up next to each other in the parking lot at the complex and executed a take-down, arresting one suspect after witnessing a transfer of unknown parcels from one vehicle to the other. The second suspect fled and evaded arrest.

“An on-site investigation led police to a flat where they searched and recovered two AK-47 rifles, an LM-5 Rifle, three shotguns, two ruger rifles, and a revolver. Bullet-proof vests, security dashboard lights, ammunition, teargas and smoke canisters, a practice hand grenade, form part of the items seized for further investigation.

“All relevant crime scene management roleplayers were summoned to the scene and the multi-disciplinary team after processsing the scene confirmed that the parcels that were moved between the suspects’ vehicles contained: an undisclosed amount of cash suspected to be the proceeds of drug sales; as well as five bags whose contents will be determined pending forensic analysis.”

Further investigations are underway and will be led by the Directorate Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks). The 30-year old suspect from Sunnyside will appear in court in due course. “The recovery of such high calibre firearms suggests that the suspects could be involved in much more than just drug-related crime. The investigating team must leave no stone unturned towards apprehending the sought suspect and their accomplices as we believe that more suspects may be involved,” cited Lieutenant General Mawela.