Police nab 'big arms dealer'

A suspected arms dealer was arrested in a raid on an upmarket northern Johannesburg home last night.

The suspect, 53, allegedly supplies military and police grade weapons and explosives to violent and deadly criminals.

The raid was part of a larger intelligence-driven operation.

It led to police recovering hundreds of rifles, machine-guns and handguns as well as ammunition and explosives.

The arrests occurred after police received a tip-off about the man's whereabouts.

The suspect was arrested along with his daughter and domestic worker when officers stormed his Norwood home.

The man is thought to be of Eastern European origin. He was apparently on a police suspect priority watch list.

The suspect, according to neighbour Moses Mphephu, has been living in the house for the past two years.

"He is such a friendly man. Really cool. When I see him walking his dog he always greets.

"Never once did I expect him to be an arms dealer. It's unbelievable," said Mphephu.

The three suspects are to appear in court soon on charges including dealing in and possession of unlicensed weapons and explosives.

Heavily armed police surrounded the high-walled house, which is fitted with monitors linked to CCTV cameras fixed on the perimeter walls.

Forensic investigators and explosives experts used ground-penetrating radar to search the garden, garage and home for more weapons.

The raid found weapons, including rifles and light machine-guns - fitted with telescopic sights - hidden in boxes stashed in an outside room.

National police commissioner General Riah Phiyega was on the scene last night. She said the arrests were the result of her direct orders to crime intelligence officers to start identifying the country's top 15 syndicates.

"The syndicates they were tasked to focus on include those dealing in arms and ammunition.

"Their tasking was to draw up a list of the top most-wanted suspects . This person controls a huge syndicate," she said.

She said officers were following up on drug-related information when they discovered the cache.

"The weapons include R1, R4, R5 and AK-47 rifles, 300 handguns, ammunition, detonators, an ammunition-manufacturing machine, dagga and explosives used for ATM bombings.

"Investigators will examine the weapons to determine their origin, what crimes they have been used in and who was using them.

"For now, it is impossible to say how many guns are here," Phiyega said.

Phiyega declined to say whether more arrests were expected. "The investigation is highly sensitive."

A police source described the find as a huge development in a bigger investigation. "This is big. A major breakthrough. Hopefully it will lead to more finds and further arrests."