EASTERN CAPE — A coordinated law enforcement operation in Lusikisiki has resulted in the arrest of a 35-year-old man for the illegal possession of homemade firearms and live ammunition. The tactical intervention by the OR Tambo District Task Team, working alongside Port St Johns Crime Intelligence, successfully intercepted the suspect and removed the illicit weapons from the community.
The investigative operation was initially launched in Ntabankulu, located within the Alfred Nzo District. According to a spokesperson for the OR Tambo District Task Team, detectives tracked the identified individual across district lines, culminating in an early morning apprehension in the Magoba locality of Lusikisiki.
The arrest was executed on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, at approximately 03:30. During the search incident to the arrest, authorities recovered three prohibited homemade firearms—specifically identified as two shotguns and one handgun—alongside three live shotgun shells.
The spokesperson confirmed that the suspect was taken into immediate custody at the scene without incident. He is slated to appear before the Lusikisiki Magistrate’s Court in the near future to face formal charges of unlawful possession of prohibited firearms and unlawful possession of live ammunition.
Law enforcement officials emphasized that this successful interception highlights the continued effectiveness of intelligence-driven policing in dismantling illegal weapons networks and maintaining public safety across the region.