'Guns for hire' in suburbs - Cops leaking guns
Cops leaking guns
Investigators are trying to establish what crimes had been committed with the seized weapons. File photo
Image by: SYDNEY SESHIBEDI
Image by: SYDNEY SESHIBEDI
A massive firearms scandal unfolding in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court is expected to lead to a wide-scale investigation involving corrupt policemen supplying arms and ammunition to criminals.
Thousands of weapons were surrendered to the police during the firearms amnesty of 2009 and were earmarked for destruction.
On Monday last week, police raided the house of elderly Ukrainian couple Emma Shmukler-Tishko, 65, and her husband Mark, 62, and seized 112 assault rifles, handguns, commercial explosives and detonators stored in a backroom.
Prosecutor Talita Louw told the court yesterday that among the recovered weapons were guns that should have been destroyed during the amnesty period.
Louw said that an R1 rifle handed in at the Roodepoort police station, in April 2010, during the amnesty, was among the weapons confiscated from at the couple's house in Norwood, Johannesburg.
"In May, the same rifle was officially taken out of the storeroom for destruction. It is not known how the same firearm was found in the possession of the applicants," she said.
Louw said investigators were checking the serial numbers of other firearms handed in at police stations across the country.
"There are several firearms that have visible serial numbers but are not reflected as stolen on the firearm registration system . they are still registered and have ownership."
She said many of the other confiscated arms were, according to police records, state-registered.
"The only inference that one can make is that there is more to this case than meets the eye.
''Investigations are under way to determine how these firearms left the custody of the police."
Emma Shmukler-Tishko, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, was granted R5000 bail.
She, together with her husband, and Malawian domestic worker Endi Nkhoma, 26, face charges of dealing in, and possession of, prohibited and unlicensed firearms, and dealing in, and possession of, ammunition and explosives.
The latest revelation has enraged Martin Hood, of the SA Gunowners' Association.
Hood said it was accepted that police stations were "porous" and that exhibits were stolen or sold from police stations.
"It is obvious that the police do not have proper control of firearms in their storerooms.
"Are police corrupt in the handling of firearms? - totally," said Hood.
He revealed that a pistol, handed in for destruction at Tugela Ferry police station, in KwaZulu-Natal, was used in the killing of a Gauteng Spar supermarket manager.
Hawks spokesman Captain Paul Ramaloko said the investigation of the Norwood arms cache had been widened "after certain facts came to light".
"If it's proved that these weapons were meant to be destroyed as part of the firearms amnesty, we will hold [the police officers involved] accountable.
"Wherever the investigation leads us, we will go," he said.
Investigators are trying to establish what crimes had been committed with the seized weapons.
A policeman involved in the registration of firearms said: "The police allegedly behind this could, if found guilty, be responsible for murder or other violent crimes.
"There are meant to be strict controls around police exhibit [stores] and strongrooms where weapons handed in or recovered are kept."
He said that only police station commanders and strongroom clerks were allowed access to the guns in their keeping.
"There is a critical failure around the safeguarding of the strongrooms.
"People who handed in guns for destruction did so thinking the police would destroy them but these promises have not been kept."
He said weapons earmarked for destruction had to be destroyed.
"There is no way around this," the police source said.
TIMES LIVE
Emma Shmukler-Tishko, 62, her husband, Mark, 59 - a former Israeli soldier - and their Malawian domestic worker, Endi Nkhoma, 26, yesterday appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on charges of illegally possessing prohibited weapons, explosives and ammunition, and dagga.
The three, who are suspected of supplying for cash and renting out weapons and explosives to ATM bombers, hijackers and cash-in-transit gangs, were arrested at their Norwood home on Thursday night.
A police source said the three suspects were the subjects of a high-level investigation into a "guns for hire" syndicate that supplied weapons and explosives to criminals.
"They look like a normal elderly suburban couple but there is more to this than meets the eye.
"Explanations are needed. Just look at the weapons found ... not your normal firearms . military and paramilitary weapons, sniper rifles ... not something you simply walk into a gun store and buy," a police investigator close to the case said.
A frail and bewildered-looking Shmukler-Tishko yesterday told The Times outside the court that she was in shock.
"We have lived in our house for 25 years. I do not know how these things got there," she said.
"We are destitute ... we live a modest lifestyle, not what the police are saying."
The couple's daughter, Nelly Shmukler-Tishko, said her father still drove the car he bought 22 years ago when her parents moved to South Africa from Israel.
"This is totally bewildering. I don't know how the police can say my parents, who are frail and elderly, are arms dealers. It's beyond comprehension," she said.
Shmukler-Tishko's advocate, Modesto Saladino, speaking outside the court, said: "They have been charged but they have not been asked to plead. For now there are only allegations which we will deal with in court."
Saladino said Emma Shmukler-Tishko had, because of her health, been released on a warning. Mark Shmukler-Tishko and Nkhoma were remanded in custody.
The three are to appear in court next Tuesday for a bail application.
In the raid police recovered more than 300 handguns, hundreds of automatic and semiautomatic rifles, including military-issue sniper rifles, and commercial explosives.
Hawks spokesman Captain Paul Ramaloko said: "There is no denying that these guns were found at the house.
"The accused must now explain to the court what [the weapons and explosives] were doing on their premises."
He said that among the weapons recovered were police- and military-issue assault rifles, and AK47s.
Ramaloko said detectives were looking for another eastern European who was central to the police investigation.
"His arrest will answer a lot of questions we have about these guns and who, exactly, they were being supplied to," Ramaloko said.
Times Live
COMMENTS BY SONNY
Cops have been leaking guns to criminals even before the Jackie Selebi ERA of police crime.
Stolen Police firearms were used to arm third forces 'OPERATIVES' pre 1994.
Their Generals were behind these crimes.
Only Eugene De Kock was convicted for some of these crimes.
Now communist ex Pats are flaming the fires of crime and destruction against SA society.
Where did these "Refugees" originate from?
Perhaps Poland and surrounding USSAR Ghetto's?
All ex allies of the ANC?
RADOVAN KREJCAR FITS INTO THIS SYNDICATE PROFILE!
HARARE - A Zimbabwe court is due to hear a bail application today for two South African men arrested in Zimbabwe at a ranch run by businessman Frikkie Lutzkie.
ReplyDeleteLawrence Botha and Pieter Marais were arrested last week after authorities unearthed the wreckage of a helicopter at the farm and accused Lutzkie of flying the aircraft into the country illegally.
Botha (66) and Marais (43) have been in custody now for six days.
The state-run Chronicle says they're facing charges of violating Zimbabwe's Immigration Act.
The two were picked up after police and soldiers unearthed the wreckage of a helicopter at Doddieburn ranch in southern Gwanda district.
Lutzkie runs safaris at the ranch but now he's under suspicion from the authorities.
He claims he had the wreckage buried to stop it from catching fire and harming by-standers but Zimbabwe's civil aviation authority insists he breached national security by flying into the country illegally.
More like Heynes and Goosen....?
This scandal is nothing in front of American's and China's firearms scandal where people have separate places for illegally manufacturing and selling firearms to people having no good background.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Scott Edvin
MA Gun License