Three men were arrested early Sunday morning after police discovered three AK-47 rifles hidden in the boot of a vehicle stopped during an illegal mining patrol in Bekkersdal, Gauteng.
Officers from the South African Police Service (SAPS) Provincial Illegal Mining Stabilisation Team intercepted a maroon Toyota Corolla near the Sporong informal settlement shortly after midnight.
A routine search of the vehicle uncovered the rifles wrapped in blankets, and one of the suspects was found in possession of ammunition.
All three individuals were taken into custody and now face charges related to the possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
They are expected to appear in court soon as police continue their investigation.
This incident comes amid heightened efforts by law enforcement to crack down on illegal mining and associated violent crime in the West Rand.
In recent months, police operations in Bekkersdal and surrounding areas have uncovered several caches of weapons, and linked firearms seizures to broader concerns about armed illegal mining networks and violent incidents in the community.
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