Cape police
cautious on illegal arms links
30 October 2016, 12:51pm
Yazeed
Kamaldien
Police at the home in Lydia Street, Valhalla Park, where a
large quantity of firearms were found. Picture: Tracey Adams
Cape Town
- Western Cape police have refused to be drawn on whether there were links
between recent arms cache discoveries and the arrest of a local businessman
allegedly connected to a former Gauteng police officer.
Police
spokesperson FC van Wyk said they were investigating after 250 firearms were
discovered in a bunker in a Valhalla Park house on Friday. Four people were
arrested. This follows the discovery of an arms cache in a Kleinvlei cemetery
in August.
In July, police arrested Rondebosch
businessman Irshaad Laher, who allegedly smuggled police-confiscated firearms
to local gangs.
Laher was
arrested after former police colonel Chris Prinsloo entered into a plea
bargain. Prinsloo allegedly sold at least 2 000 guns to Laher. In return for
co-operating with the state, Prinsloo was jailed for 18 years.
Weekend
Argus questioned the national and provincial police on whether there were links
between the arms-related busts.
While Van
Wyk replied, “Everything is under investigation. We are not going to speculate”,
Brigadier Sally de Beer, spokeswoman for the national police, said they hoped
Friday’s arrest would “assist us in clamping down on the scourge of
gangsterism”.
Laher is
scheduled to return to the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. He is out
on R100 000 bail and faces charges of fraud, corruption, racketeering and theft
of firearms and ammunition.
Laher’s
assets, worth R9-million, have also been frozen. This includes his Rondebosch
home worth about R3m.
Weekend
Argus
