Port Elizabeth police on Wednesday warned firearm dealers and owners to thoroughly familiarise themselves with the Firearms Control Act to avoid cases being opened against them and their firearms confiscated.
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the warning followed after a 54-year-old firearm tradesman was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of firearms.
“It is alleged that on 6 March 2018, members from Walmer Crime Prevention Unit executed a search warrant on the owner at his house in Westering. On inspecting the hunting rifles on the premises, seven rifles belonging to other owners were stored in the safe without a safekeeping permit in possession of the tradesman,” Naidu said.
Naidu said the rifles were confiscated and the person arrested and charged with unlawful possession of firearms.
Christo Janse Van Rensburg appeared in the Port Elizabeth regional court on Wednesday and the case was remanded to April 20, 2018, for further investigation.
Naidu added that firearm owners who intend leaving their firearms with other licensed persons for safekeeping must ensure that a safekeeping permit is obtained from the Designated Firearms Officer at their nearest police station before handing it in for safekeeping.
"It is a known fact that firearms contribute to the commission of many serious crimes, ranging from domestic violence disputes to armed robberies and murders, be it at the hands of legal or illegal owners. Each year, many licensed firearms are lost or stolen, thereby contributing to the proliferation of firearms that are in the hands of criminals," Naidu said.
- African News Agency (ANA)
