Weapons taken from Namibian police and military stockpiles have reportedly entered criminal networks in the Western Cape, according to police officials and researchers.
A report states that these weapons include military-grade firearms. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime's latest Western Cape Gang Monitor noted that a recent court case in Windhoek involved nine individuals charged with stealing weapons.
'We've seen the recovery of many AK-47s in the city of Cape Town in particular, and in South Africa we are not licensing AK-47s,' said Western Cape police commissioner Thembisile Patekile in February.