SAPS REPORT: From police to private security: How legal guns end up in criminal hands
Illegal firearms are being funnelled into the hands of criminals from multiple sources, including the SAPS, private security companies, government institutions, those smuggled from neighbouring countries and citizens who have had their weapons stolen.
Illegal firearms are infiltrating South Africa's criminal underworld through various channels, including the South African Police Service (SAPS), private security firms, government institutions, neighboring countries, and citizens who have had their weapons stolen. Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo recently told the parliamentary police committee that illegal weapons are the "instrument of choice" in most violent crimes, with many entering the criminal economy from SAPS, private security, and other sources.
Khumalo also acknowledged that firearms are being smuggled into South Africa, and police are working with neighboring countries to intercept them. However, the SAPS's claim of recovering over 6,000 illegal firearms has been called into question due to a lack of audit evidence, and the Auditor-General suggests that the actual performance by SAPS may have been better than reported.
The issue of illegal firearms is not new, with a prominent case in the Western Cape involving former police officer and convicted arms dealer Colonel Christiaan Prinsloo, who admitted to selling firearms and ammunition to gangsters in 2016. This case exposed vulnerabilities in the system, as weapons placed under police control for destruction could be diverted into the criminal underworld.
Brief written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
