Cops believe they have averted an all-out gang turf war after swooping on a known drug den in Parkwood.
Police arrested two men, one of whom is an alleged hitman, and confiscated a gun and a large stash of drugs.
Top cop, Lieutenant Colonel Dawood Laing, the station commander at Grassy Park Police station, says they reacted to a tip-off from a resident.
He says information received from the community has saved lives and encouraged mense to be their “eyes and ears” and contact cops to piemp skollies and skelms in their communities.
“We take any tip-off or information very seriously,” he explains.
“This week the community assisted us in preventing a gang shooting and we cannot do it without their help, and by building a partnership.”
Yesterday at 6am, cops immediately responded to information from a reliable source that a shooting was to take place in Parkwood between the Americans and Fast Guns gangs.
Officers were deployed to the area and Laing says the shooting was prevented due to high police visibility.
He says several teams carried out patrols, and were alerted that firearms and ammunition were being held in Parkwood.
STASH: Cops confiscated tik, mandrax, heroin and dagga
“The patrols were to prevent shootings in the area as the information received was that the Fast Guns and the Americans were to shoot,” he says.
At the drug den, which is apparently owned by suspected members of the Fast Guns gang, cops arrested two men aged 21 and 22.
“At 6am, while on patrol to prevent a shooting, information came from a reliable person to visit a premises in Parkwood Avenue where a firearm and drugs were being kept,” he says.
“This is an alleged drug outlet where the Junkie Funkies hang out. Two men aged 21 and 22 were arrested and the shooting was prevented.”
SEIZED: Pistol and 15 bullets
Laing says one of the suspects is known to police.
“One of the men is a hitman for the JFK gang and was
previously arrested for the
possession of ammunition and an illegal firearm.”
Inside the house, cops found a 9mm pistol, 15 rounds of ammunition, one round still in the firearm, as well as 60 packets of tik, 11 heroin tablets, four whole Mandrax tablets, three mandrax halves, 11 bankies of dagga, a cellphone and a scale to weigh drugs.
“These men are to appear in court on Monday to face various charges,” Laing adds.