Roodepoort man arrested with rifles and more than 80 rounds of ammunition

Bulelwa Hoala

A 36-year-old man was arrested on 5 January 2026 after police found an AK-47, a .308 semi-automatic rifle, and more than 80 rounds of ammunition at a house in the area.
SAPS units acted on information about unlicensed firearms, seizing the weapons, a magazine, and live ammunition during a search.
The suspect faces charges of possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition, while the seized weapons will undergo ballistic testing to check links to other crimes.

A 36-year-old man was arrested in Roodepoort on Monday, 5 January 2026, after he was found with an AK-47, a 308 semi-automatic, and more than 80 rounds of ammunition.

According to a South African Police Service (SAPS) statement, the man was arrested by officers from Gauteng Organised Crime Tracing Team and Police Emergency Services Flexi after they received a tip-off about unlicensed firearms concealed at a house in the area.

“A team of two police units was mobilised to follow up on information. As they searched the house, the police found one AK-47 rifle, one 308 semi-automatic rifle, one magazine and more than 80 live rounds of ammunition,” the statement read.

The man has since been charged with possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition and is set to appear before Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court.

Meanwhile, SAPS confirmed that the firearms will undergo ballistic testing to determine whether they were used in other crimes.