Pretoria - Police in Limpopo have arrested a 27-year-old suspect and recovered an AK47 assault rifle after “swift action and well-coordinated operation” following a home robbery.
Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, police spokesperson in Limpopo, said the incident happened at a house in Modjadjiskloof, outside Tzaneen on Monday afternoon.
“The victim was reportedly outside the house at Macnoon Estate, and she allegedly decided to go back into the house. She was surprised to find the door locked,” Mojapelo narrated.
“She then decided to use the other entrance, and that's when she was allegedly accosted by an unknown suspect who pointed her with an AK47 rifle, demanding car keys.”
The intruder then drove off in the woman’s KIA Picanto vehicle.
Police were notified of the robbery, and they immediately responded.
“The vehicle matching the same description of one that was robbed earlier, was spotted in Ramoroka village under Bolobedu policing area. The vehicle was tactically stopped, and the suspect was arrested. Police then recovered the AK47 assault rifle,” said Mojapelo.
“Further investigation will be conducted to determine how the firearm, which belongs to the owner of the house, got stolen.”
Mojapelo told IOL that although previously a banned assault rifle in South Africa, currently, there are provisions in law allowing people to own AK47 rifles. He said to be legally owned by civilians in South Africa, the popular Russian-made rifles have to be converted from automatic to single shot.
The recovered AK47 was fully licensed.
The arrested man will appear before the Tzaneen Magistrate's Court facing charges of house robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Meanwhile, the provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has applauded the swift action of the police units, which led to the arrest of the 27-year-old and the recovery of the firearm.
IOL