Gangs hire AK-47s for robbery spree

schumi

schumi

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Pretoria – A new trend of criminal syndicates hiring high-powered assault rifles is believed to be behind a spate of violent armed robberies in the city.

Police insiders told the Pretoria News there had been an increase in attacks in and around the city since last year, with criminals outgunning officers by using military-grade AK-47, R5 and R1 assault rifles.

On Saturday, a man was hijacked on the R21 off ramp by four men with AK-47s. Earlier this month criminals also exchanged rapid fire at Soshanguve Plaza with police, using AK-47s and R5 rifles.

Days before the new year, a Pretoria West Tyre and Wheel company was ransacked by five thugs using AK-47s and other assault rifles.

Police believe the majority of them were hiring the weapons. An investigation has revealed a growing trend where smaller criminal gangs hired assault rifles from larger syndicates for a day, week or month.

“This makes it extremely difficult to trace suspects because once we find them, we cannot trace the weapon back to them as they have returned it,” said a police insider.

Purchasing an AK-47 on the black market could cost anything between R1 000 and R1 800, according to police.

However, smaller criminal gangs that could not afford large sums of money, hired the rifles for between R100 and R250 each.

Dr Johan Burger, senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), said smuggling routes used during apartheid to arm resistance groups were still of concern today.
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More at: http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/gangs-hire-ak-47s-for-robbery-spree-7451653
 
Good thing the public isn't allowed to own these guns. Just think of all the criminals who would be able to get hold of them for as little as R250.
 
On Saturday, a man was hijacked on the R21 off ramp by four men with AK-47s. Earlier this month criminals also exchanged rapid fire at Soshanguve Plaza with police, using AK-47s and R5 rifles.
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The what now?

But yes, it's hectic out there.
 
konfab said:
Good thing the public isn't allowed to own these guns. Just think of all the criminals who would be able to get hold of them for as little as R250.
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What do you mean the public isn't allowed to own these guns?!?!
 
JCM said:
What do you mean the public isn't allowed to own these guns?!?!
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Fully automatic rifles cannot be legally licensed to normal citizens. The R5 and R1 rifles are fully automatic, AK47 might refer to a semi, but in gang land most likely is also referring to a full auto rifle.
 
Compton_effect said:
So you seed the market with a number of weapons fitted with gps trackers.
Wait a few weeks until you have a decent idea of the network - then you strike.

Yeah - I'm a devious little ****.
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That worked so well in the US...

The stated goal of allowing these purchases was to continue to track the firearms as they were transferred to higher-level traffickers and key figures in Mexican cartels, with the expectation that this would lead to their arrests and the dismantling of the cartels.[6][8][9] The tactic was questioned during the operations by a number of people, including ATF field agents and cooperating licensed gun dealers.[10][11][12][13][14] During Operation Fast and Furious, the largest "gunwalking" probe, the ATF monitored the sale of about 2,000[1]:203[15] firearms, of which only 710 were recovered as of February 2012.[1]:203 A number of straw purchasers have been arrested and indicted; however, as of October 2011, none of the targeted high-level cartel figures had been arrested.[6]
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATF_gunwalking_scandal
One of the painted stains on Obama's noble peace prize...
 
Compton_effect said:
So you seed the market with a number of weapons fitted with gps trackers.
Wait a few weeks until you have a decent idea of the network - then you strike.

Yeah - I'm a devious little ****.
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Need to get a bunch of these that are rigged to fire two bullets and then blow up in the face of the holder.
 
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