OPERATION SAFER FESTIVE SEASON YIELDS POSITIVE RESULTS FOLLOWING RECOVERY OF ABANDONED FIREARMS IN PIENAAR
Nelspruit: 20 November 2025 – Police in Pienaar are investigating a case involving abandoned firearms that were recovered on 19 November 2025.
According to information received, police were alerted to a group of individuals allegedly transporting firearms from Mataffin near Nelspruit to Pienaar in a white Nissan NP300 bakkie A police member later spotted the vehicle in the Mkhatsini (Karino) area and followed it while notifying members of Pienaar SAPS.
Two males were seated at the back of the vehicle. As the vehicle approached Moyeni Mall, it slowed down, enabling both suspects to jump off with a white bag before fleeing into nearby bushes. The vehicle then sped off.
During the pursuit, police discovered two bags of maize meal left behind by the suspects. Upon inspection, the bags were found to contain three rifles and 25 rounds of ammunition.
The recovered items included:
1. Brown rifle – Serial number
2. Black Gladiator shotgun with black shoulder belt – Serial number:
3. Brown rifle with a zoomed black scope and brown shoulder belt – Serial number:
4. Black waist ammunition belt
5. Two green shotgun rounds (70/35)
6. Seventeen red shotgun rounds (GB 12/70 28g)
7. Six white shotgun rounds (28g 67mm)
All items were confiscated and will be circulated to trace their lawful owners. The firearms will also undergo forensic ballistic testing to determine whether they were used in the commission of any other crimes.
Further investigation revealed that the firearms had been stolen during a residential burglary in White River.
Police urge anyone with information that may assist in the arrest of the suspects to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or submit information via the MySAPS App. Callers may remain anonymous, and all information will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
