AFTER POLICE SEIZE THREE ASSAULT RIFLES IN PHILIPPI
CCN Reporter – George April
CAPE TOWN:- Two men are expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court today (Friday, 26 June 2026) after members of the Western Cape National Intervention Unit (NIU) recovered three fully automatic assault rifles during a targeted operation in Philippi.
The suspects, aged 32 and 45, were arrested on Thursday, 25 June 2026, following heightened police deployments in response to unrest in the Siqalo informal settlement.
According to police, NIU members were conducting patrols along Jakes Gerwel Drive when they noticed a suspicious red Fiat Uno. Officers kept the vehicle under observation before it came to a stop outside a shopping complex at approximately 12:15.
As members approached the vehicle, they discovered that its licence disc had expired in 2023. A subsequent search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a large white bag in the boot containing three fully automatic assault rifles. The two occupants were immediately arrested and charged with possession of prohibited firearms.
Police hailed the arrest as another significant blow against the proliferation of illegal firearms in the Western Cape, with authorities continuing to intensify operations aimed at removing high-powered weapons from communities affected by violent crime.
The recovered rifles will undergo ballistic testing as investigators work to determine whether they may have been used in previous violent crimes or gang-related incidents. The accused are scheduled to make their first court appearance in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court today, where they are expected to face charges relating to the possession of prohibited firearms.
The investigation remains ongoing.
