Police probe how security company firearm ended up with arrested man
A 39-year-old man is expected in court after police allegedly found an unlicensed firearm linked to a Gqeberha-based private security company during a stop-and-search operation in Umasizakhe.
Police are investigating how a 39-year-old man ended up with a firearm belonging to a private security company in Gqeberha. The man was arrested in Robert Sobukwe Town, formerly known as Graaff-Reinet, on Tuesday. Initial investigations suggest the weapon recovered from the suspect is from the security company, despite not having been reported stolen by them.
The 39-year-old is scheduled to appear in court for illegal possession of a firearm. Police say they successfully removed an unlicensed weapon from the streets through a tactical operation in a known violent crime hotspot. Members of the Robert Sobukwe Town Crime Prevention Unit and District Tactical Team conducted the high-visibility patrols.
"While moving through the Umasizakhe location, the operational teams spotted a suspicious-looking man and immediately intercepted him," police reported. The firearm will be tested to see if it has been linked to any violent crimes. Police management praised the proactive intervention, emphasizing that every seized illegal firearm prevents potential loss of life.
In the third quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year, police reported seizing 1,590 handguns, 85 homemade firearms, 151 rifles, 81 shotguns and 24,753 rounds of ammunition. In February 2026, police destroyed 13,859 firearms, bringing the total destroyed over the past seven years to 305,934.
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