[imagesource:wikicommons]

Western Cape police have arrested a group of undocumented women and children who were hiding inside a bus trailer on the N1 close to Paarl.

Police became suspicious when they noticed the bus offloading passengers next to the Sonstraal offramp.

One of the passengers even tried to bribe the cops with R50,000, but instead, they were also charged with offering a bribe as well.

SAPS provincial spokesperson, Joseph Swartbooi, said police executed an arrest on charges of prevention and combatting of corrupt activities, an offence in terms of the Immigration Act and prevention and combatting of trafficking in persons.

“The investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident will be conducted by the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation.”

Swartbooi told News24 that SAPS could not disclose the number of people arrested at this stage of the investigation.

Western Cape police seem to have had a busy weekend, and a bit of luck as well, as another routine stop on Saturday evening led to the discovery of a firearms cache, and drugs worth R3 million.

Western Cape’s Flying Squad members noticed a suspicious double-cab bakkie while patrolling, and once the vehicle was stopped, the driver was found with an unlicenced 9mm firearm, various drugs, and a substantial amount of cash.

After the police interrogated the oke a bit more, the search was extended to the Bergzicht apartment complex in Goodwood, where a huge haul was found consisting of 19 firearms, including an AK-47 assault rifle, a shotgun and other automatic and semi-automatic firearms, as well as an assortment of drugs valued at R3 million.

Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said, “We have reason to believe that the apartment which is leased in the suspect’s name was never used as a residence, but rather a storing facility for the firearms and the drugs.”

Police are now investigating and will likely be arresting more suspects in the near future.

[source:ewn]