/ 9 January 2003

Cape Town police seize huge haul of AK-47s

Western Cape police confiscated a huge haul of semi-automatic assault rifles at a warehouse facility near Cape Town International Airport on Wednesday night.

Police representative Captain Rod Beer said on Thursday a total of 220 assault rifles and 60 shotguns, were confiscated by firearm control unit detectives and border control police after a search warrant had been obtained following a tip-off.

The semi-automatic assault rifles had been redesigned to accept three different calibres of bullet.

Beer said the weapons, from Russia, were being held at an undisclosed destination after they were imported without a permit or proper documentation. Beer said police were trying to establish who imported the weapons and for what country they were intended for. ‒ Sapa