Johnathan Paoli
A multidisciplinary team consisting of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Hawks have uncovered what initial reports indicate is yet another illegal military camp.
Law enforcement agencies closed down on the location on a farm in Modimolle, Limpopo, uncovering several licensed firearms, rifles, pistols and ammunition.
Provincial Hawks spokesperson Lethunya Muroa said that investigations were still under way in order to get to the bottom of the matter.
“The purpose of the training is not yet clear, but military-related training cannot be ruled out, the manner in which the firearms and ammunition landed on the farm is still under investigation,” Muroa said.
The Hawks conducted the raid in conjunction with the public order police, the local criminal record centre and a tactical response unit, following a tip-off about suspicious activities at the farm.
“It is alleged the police received a tip-off about a suspicious training camp at one of the farms in Modimolle. A sting operation was conducted and during the operation, the team seized rifles, pistols and ammunition believed to be used during the training,” Muroa said.
The Limpopo raid comes on the heels of a recent bust at a farm outside White River, Mpumalanga in which 95 Libyan nationals were arrested as part of a suspected military training camp.
The Libyans appeared in the White River Magistrates court, on charges of violation of the Immigration Act, with the case being postponed to the end of August to allow for further investigations.
The camp, run by the Milites Dei Security Services (MDSS), has been officially closed down, with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) announcing on Wednesday that further charges might be added to both the foreign nationals as well as the owners of the security services provider.
INSIDE POLITICS
