Pretoria house sealed off after cops find suspected poison during arms raid

Police sealed off a house in the Moot in Pretoria on Sunday after discovering large amounts of substances suspected to be poison.

A police source on the scene told TimesLive that substances suspected to be cyanide and arsenic were found at the house during a raid for firearms and ammunition.

Police spokesperson Kay Makhubela would only say he was aware of an operation being underway but could not yet provide any details.

A TimesLIVE reporter on the scene first witnessed police investigators outside a flat at a two-storey building in Pretoria West where nearly 1,000 rounds of police-issued ammunition were seized.

Police said a 28-year-old man and six other people, including two women, were taken in for questioning.

After the raid on the flat, police and members of the national intervention unit proceeded to a house in the Moot, where at least 15 rifles and other firearms were recovered.

It was here that forensic investigators were suited up and briefed on the location of suspected cyanide and arsenic at the house.

Neighbour Thomas Mahlangu told TimesLIVE he was surprised by what had happened.

“I run past here every day. It's a quiet neighbourhood.

“I never expected something like this would happen here. I know the old man who lives here. We greet every time we see each other.

"He was an active community member and used to support anti-crime initiatives years ago.”

Mahlangu said he did not know what had happened since then.

“He has gone quiet and was apparently ill. It's scary to see all these police officers here and hear that they found guns and poison."