A suspect has been arrested in Ermelo after police allegedly found an unlicensed firearm concealed inside an electricity meter box in his bedroom.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), members of the Mpumalanga Provincial Highway Patrol and the Provincial Anti-Hijacking Team in Gert Sibande acted on information from a registered source on Sunday, 28 June 2026.
At approximately 16:00, officers approached an identified residence in Extension 6, Thusi Section, where they found an adult male asleep inside. Police said the suspect voluntarily consented to a search of himself and the premises.
Image: The firearm recovered by police in Ermelo.
During the search, officers allegedly discovered a firearm and an empty magazine hidden inside an electricity meter box in the suspect’s bedroom. When questioned, the suspect allegedly told police that he had bought the firearm from an unknown person in Ermelo the previous week.
Police said preliminary investigations revealed that the firearm tested positive and was linked to a case reported in Ermelo in February 2026. The firearm was seized for further forensic examination to determine whether it may be connected to other criminal activity.
The suspect was arrested for possession of an unlicensed firearm and is expected to appear before the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court.