From the news desk

Case against businessman, arms dealer postponed again

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The case against a Cape Town businessman and Vereeniging arms dealer was again on Friday postponed for another pre-trial hearing.

Irshaad “Hunter” Laher and Alan Raves appeared in the Western Cape High Court where the matter was postponed to October 12.

The two are accused of various charges focusing on the alleged sale of firearms meant to have been destroyed by police but which ended up in the hands of gangsters in the province.

Former police colonel Chris Prinsloo, now serving a jail sentence for crimes including theft and racketeering, previously said he had sold at least 2 000 firearms meant to be destroyed by police to Laher, who then allegedly sold them to gangsters.

It is believed that 1 066 murders were carried out with 888 of the guns, between 2010 and 2014.

At least 261 children were murdered or wounded between 2010 and 2016 with the guns.

2 400 dockets

Prinsloo, Laher and Raves were arrested as part of a national gun smuggling investigation named Project Impi.

In its amended summary of facts, the State alleges that the “core function of this criminal enterprise was to steal firearms and ammunition destined for destruction and provided the firearms and ammunition to criminals, including the accused, for their own benefit and for other such members of criminal gangs on the Cape Flats”.

Raves and Laher were charged under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

In February prosecutor Christiaan de Jongh said the defence had previously indicated that it wanted “certain police dockets” disclosed, News24 reported then.

There were about 2 400 dockets and De Jongh said it had been a massive task to scan and photocopy them.


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