Cape Town – Three suspects were arrested and multiple unlicensed firearms recovered in separate police operations over the weekend as part of a broader effort to curb gang violence in Cape Town, the South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed on Monday.
The arrests stemmed from intensified anti-crime operations in the wake of a mass shooting in Bishop Lavis on Friday, 11 July 2025, which claimed several lives and reignited concerns over gang-related violence in the area.
“Anti-Gang Unit members deployed in Bishop Lavis following the mass murder on Friday 11 July 2025, conducted tracing operations on Saturday 12 July 2025 during which they pursued information of a possible storage facility where firearms are kept for a known gang grouping,” police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said in a statement.
“They approached and entered the premises in Tafelberg Road and commenced with a search of the property. Their tenacity were rewarded when they recovered two firearms with ammunition and in the process detained a 20-year-old man for the possession of prohibited firearms and ammunition.”
#sapsWC #SAPS #AntiGangUnit members deployed in Bishop Lavis, conducted #TracingOps on Saturday 12/07, operationalizing information of a possible storage facility in Tafelberg Road where firearms are kept for a known #gang grouping.
Upon a search at the premises, 2 firearms… pic.twitter.com/r0Rw1fBcDE
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) July 14, 2025
In a separate operation on Sunday, 13 July, a multi-disciplinary police team conducting patrols in the Bellville precinct spotted a suspicious Toyota Corolla heading toward Kuilsriver. Officers stopped and searched the vehicle, recovering a 9mm pistol and ammunition. Two men, aged 40 and 57, were arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“The commitment of police members to create a safer environment for the community was rewarded,” said police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi.
The three suspects are expected to appear in the Bishop Lavis and Blue Downs Magistrates’ Courts respectively.
Police say operations will continue in known gang hotspots in a bid to curb violent crime and dismantle illegal firearm networks.
Picture: X/@SAPoliceService
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
