’Marafaele Mohloboli
THE police are investigating how 23 pistols which were exhibits being kept at the Robbery and Car Theft Squad (RCTS) premises, have gone missing.
The firearms were being kept in a safe at the RCTS offices located near the Mejametalana Airwing in Maseru, only for an officer to notice during handover that they had disappeared.
Commissioner of Police (ComPol) Holomo Molibeli, who revealed the guns’ disappearance on Tuesday during a press briefing at police headquarters, also said investigations into the incident were underway and they were yet to establish “whether they have been misplaced or indeed stolen.”
This is not the first time that firearms have gone missing while under the custody of the police.
In 2021, 75 firearms were stolen from the Mafeteng Police Station armoury with inside help from three corrupt officers. The officers later confessed to stealing and selling the weapons to members of the blanketed famo music gangs, largely responsible for killing sprees in Lesotho as well as several illegal mining sites in South Africa.
The firearms which are mostly exhibits to be used as evidence in pending court cases, are allegedly sold for M50 000 each.
Meanwhile, two police constables (PCs) working under the Special Operations Unit (SOU) were arrested over the weekend for the theft of two AK47 rifles belonging to their department.
The accused constables, Sempe Theko of Ha-Tjopa in Thaba-Bosiu and Poloko Lehoko (31) of Ha-Kholoko in Roma, allegedly connived to steal the rifles and later gave them to a suspect who stays in Borokhoaneng, a slum in Maseru.
According to ComPol Molibeli, PC Theko was off-duty on Friday night but still went to the office pretending to be working so the firearms could be handed over to him.
Compol Molibeli said the police later learnt that he had already arranged a car to pick him up and the firearms, which he took to PC Lehoko’s residence. The latter then took the weapons to the Borokhoaneng suspect who is said to be connected to illegal miners or zama-zamas.
“However, police were swift enough to trace them, and they were found hidden at ‘that’ man’s rented place in Borokhoaneng, whose identity we are not going to reveal as we are on his heels,” Compol Molibeli said.
Both accused constables appeared before the Maseru Magistrates’ Court on Monday and were each granted M3 000 bail and M10 000 surety. Their next court appearance is on 14 August.
Meanwhile, the South African Police Service (SAPS) also arrested six Basotho this past weekend in Free State province who were found in possession of illegal firearms.
According to SAPS’s Captain Stephen Thakeng, the first four were arrested in Virginia after the police had received an intelligence tipoff from Bloemfontein Crime Intelligence on 28 July 2023 afternoon.
“A white Toyota Legend45 was identified parking at a filling station and was searched. Two firearms, Norinco 9mm pistol and a revolver, both with serial numbers filed off. The four aged between 25 and 31 were arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. The bakkie was also seized,” Capt Thakeng said.
He also mentioned that the other two were arrested in a shack house in Bronville, Welkom. The Welkom Flying Squad had received a tipoff form the neighbours.
“Two firearms, two magazines and ammunitions were found hidden in a shallow hole inside the shack house. Two suspects – a male aged 36 and a female aged 26 were also arrested.
“All the accused are Basotho nationals,” Capt Thakeng said. It is not clear whether the six have already appeared in South African courts.
