A 71-year-old Durban man has been remanded in custody after allegedly manufacturing and selling illegal firearms, including to foreign nationals.
Mbangiseni Ndlovu was arrested on Tuesday night during an intelligence-driven operation by the South African Police Service's (SAPS) eThekwini District Tracing Team at the Katutura informal settlement in Cato Manor.
He appeared briefly in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, where the matter was postponed to allow for further investigations. Ndlovu is expected to apply for bail next week.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Amanda Funani said officers acted on intelligence that Ndlovu was allegedly manufacturing and dealing in unlicensed firearms from his home.
During the operation, police seized three 9mm pistols, two homemade firearms, and equipment believed to have been used in the manufacture of illegal weapons.
According to police, the firearms were allegedly sold to foreign nationals for approximately R2,000 each.
Investigators believe Ndlovu had been linked to the illegal firearms trade for some time and had reportedly focused on selling weapons to non-South African buyers since late June.
The allegations emerge amid heightened tensions surrounding illegal immigration, following an unofficial 30 June deadline set by some protest groups calling on foreign nationals to leave the country.