Overnight operations net prohibited weapons across two policing areas
Law enforcement authorities in the Eastern Cape's OR Tambo District have apprehended four men following a series of coordinated raids aimed at curbing the spread of unlicensed and homemade firearms in the region. The suspects, ranging in age from 23 to 64, were taken into custody during operations conducted across Ngqeleni and Port St Johns between Monday evening, 9 March 2026, and the early hours of Tuesday, 10 March 2026.
The crackdown forms part of ongoing efforts by provincial police to tackle the proliferation of illegal weapons, which officials say are frequently linked to serious and violent criminal activity throughout the district. Multiple prohibited shotguns and live ammunition were recovered during the operations.
In the first incident, crime prevention officers in Ngqeleni descended on a property at Poza locality in the Mamolweni administrative area shortly after midnight on Tuesday. A 64-year-old man was discovered with a shotgun concealed beneath his bed. Earlier that same evening, at approximately 23:45 on Monday, a separate team operating in the Nothintsila administrative area at Goli locality found a 23-year-old male suspect hiding a prohibited shotgun inside a steel trunk in his room.
Port St Johns suspects found with multiple weapons and ammunition
In a separate and unrelated operation in Port St Johns, crime intelligence operatives working alongside the Zone 4 District Task Team moved on targets in the Bolani locality. A 43-year-old man was arrested after officers recovered two homemade shotguns along with six live rounds of ammunition in his possession. During the same operation in that locality, a 58-year-old man was also taken into custody after being found with a homemade shotgun and fourteen live shells.
All four suspects have been charged with the unlawful possession of prohibited firearms and unlawful possession of ammunition. They are expected to make their initial appearances in the magistrates' courts within their respective jurisdictions in the coming days.
"These prohibited firearms pose a threat to many in the district," OR Tambo District Commissioner Major General Norman Modishana said, commending all police members involved in the successful recovery of the weapons.
The arrests underscore the scale of the challenge facing law enforcement in rural parts of the Eastern Cape, where homemade and unregistered firearms continue to circulate despite sustained policing efforts. Authorities have signalled that further operations targeting illegal weapons can be expected as part of the district's broader strategy to reduce violent crime.
The recovery of a total of five prohibited shotguns and twenty live rounds of ammunition across the two policing precincts in a single night has been hailed as a significant success for the district's crime-fighting units.
The seizure of homemade firearms in OR Tambo District highlights a persistent safety challenge for rural Eastern Cape communities, where illegal weapons fuel violent crime and threaten livelihoods dependent on stable local conditions. For residents and small businesses, the continued circulation of such weapons undermines economic activity and daily security. Sustained enforcement operations may gradually reduce the availability of prohibited firearms, though lasting progress will likely depend on broader social investment alongside policing efforts.
