South African police find arms cache during operation

JOHANNESBURG

Police in South Africa said Wednesday they had uncovered a cache of firearms during an operation in Johannesburg targeting traders dealing in counterfeit goods.

The said the weapons were discovered in an office in the city’s Medical Towers building during an operation involving several security agencies.

Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela told reporters those found in possession of the firearms claimed they owned a security company.

"All these firearms will be taken to our forensic laboratories so that ballistic tests can be conducted to check if these arms could be linked to other crimes," Mawela said.

Many people in South Africa still own unlicensed firearms which are believed to be used in committing crimes. The firearms found Wednesday included assault rifles and an AK-47.

Around 57 people were murdered every day in South Africa, according to police crime statistics for 2018.

Police also seized a number of counterfeit goods during Wednesday's operation, which comes barely a week after traders clashed with police in Johannesburg.

Several law enforcement agencies teamed up with police and raided shops suspected of dealing in counterfeit products.

Last week, street vendors and shopkeepers threw stones and bottles at police officers while they were confiscating counterfeit goods from shops and street stalls in the city center.

Law enforcement agencies in South Africa often conduct operations in major cities to confiscate counterfeit products, including branded T-shirts, shoes and other textile products that are illegally manufactured bearing names of popular designer brands but sold at half the price.