Many illegal firearms that are used to terrorize residents and commit business robberies were once owned by law-abiding citizens.
Police have now called upon those citizens to report their stolen or missing firearms to help them clear the streets of these deadly weapons.
Speaking to the publication following concerns about the rise of business and house robberies, which are committed using illegal firearms, police say they have intensified their operations to confiscate more illegal firearms.
We do not believe that there is someone who is supplying the firearms, but we believe they were either lost or stolen from residents who had licenses for them. Criminals file off the serial numbers and use them to commit crimes.
“In some cases, police are able to discover who it belonged to after they have found it, but if the criminals did a good job in removing the serial number, it will be difficult,” said a police source.
uMgungundlovu District police spokesperson Sergeant Sifiso Gwala said there has been a rise in business robberies and house robberies where illegal firearms are used.
Gwala said the police are doing everything they can to recover these firearms but they need residents to play their part by filing reports when a firearm is taken or missing.
“Criminal are using these firearms to threaten victims. If they can be taken off the streets, things will be better and crime will also decrease. There are a number of [firearms] that the police keep recovering, but we need more. Reporting the missing firearm also helps because ballistic reports can be pulled up which will determine if it was used in any other cases,” he said.
Dr Guy Lamb, a senior lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch, who has done extensive research and work on arms control, violence reduction, urban safety, and policing in Africa, said weapons either get stolen or lost and end up in criminals’ hands.
He said the firearms that are used were legally owned — either by police, private security companies or ordinary citizens.
With easy access to firearms and ammunition, which seems to be the problem in South Africa, you tend to see firearms featuring a lot more prominently in crime.
Lamb suggested a multifaceted approach to dealing with the crisis.
He cited an intensified approach in crime operations to root out illegal firearms, increase in firearm amnesties and a more efficient central firearms registry.
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