Bloemfontein Man Arrested After Police Find M26 Hand Grenade and Imitation Firearm
2 min read
Welcome back! Log in to keep reading without ads.
A 28-year-old man is expected to appear in court after police discovered a used M26 hand-practice grenade and an imitation firearm during an intelligence-driven operation in Bloemfontein.
The suspect was arrested on Saturday, 17 October 2026, after members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) followed up information about a person allegedly in possession of an illegal firearm.
According to the police, three members of the Public Order Policing (POP) Unit and a sergeant from the Diving Unit were involved in the operation. The officers proceeded to identified premises, where they found an informal structure behind the main house and encountered the suspect.
During a search, police discovered a black imitation firearm bearing the description “GLOCK C15”. The item did not have a magazine or trigger.
Officers also found a used hand grenade inside a bag. The discovery prompted police to call in the SAPS Bomb and Explosives Unit and the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) to examine the items.
The Bomb and Explosives Unit identified the device as an M26 hand-practice grenade that had already been used. Police reported that it did not contain a detonator or safety lever, and no visible lot number was present.
The grenade’s discovery raised concerns about how the device came into the suspect’s possession. Police stated that possession of this type of grenade is restricted to authorised members of the SAPS and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), subject to the necessary permission.
Given these restrictions and the circumstances in which the grenade was found, it was suspected to be stolen property.
The 28-year-old was subsequently arrested and detained on a charge of possession of suspected stolen property. Both the imitation firearm and the grenade were seized and booked in as exhibits for further investigation.
The suspect is expected to appear in court soon. Investigations are continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the possession of the items.
Police have not indicated that the imitation firearm was used in a crime, and the reported discovery of the grenade does not, by itself, establish that the suspect was involved in any other offence.
- Cameron Waldeck-Cooks Case: Family Questions Police After Teenagers’ Phones Were Returned Without Data Download
- Eshowe Triple Murder Suspect Remains on the Run as Police Report No New Developments
- 17-Year-Old Arrested for Double Murder in Cape Town, Second Suspect Arrested With Gun
- Bloemfontein Man Arrested After Police Find M26 Hand Grenade and Imitation Firearm
- Foreign National Arrested in Ballito With Drugs Worth More Than R1 Million
