WATCH: Massive police blitzes restore order in Boksburg
Boksburg has been rocked by a spate of serious crimes including house robberies, drugs trade, hijackings, assault GBH and murder.
Led by district police commissioner Major General Anna Sithole, the SAPS Operation Okae Molao descended on Boksburg where the two-day blitz on crime saw the arrest of 291 suspects for various offences.
Of the arrested suspects, 263 were brought in during the first phase of the operation on Wednesday when teams of detectives in the district traced and arrested those for being on the run after allegedly committing crimes.
A total of 129 traffic fines to the value of R61 750 were also issued to motorists.
Among those arrested were three people found in possession of parts stripped from a Ford Ranger bakkie that was hijacked on March 8 in Boksburg, 18 illegal immigrants and three people found in possession of drugs.
Five liquor outlets were closed down for operating without valid permits, and they had their stock confiscated.
The team consisting of SAPS, EMPD, Gauteng Traffic Department, Home Affairs and CPF, were conducting roadblocks in different parts of Boksburg, with specific areas targeted.
The SAPS Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit was also on hand to trace stolen vehicles and car parts.
Targeted areas included the intersection of Commissioner Street and Van Dyk Road, Boksburg CBD and the informal settlements on Main Reef and Wit Deep roads.
Members of the SAPS Social Crime Prevention and Communication Unit distributed hundreds of pamphlets containing vital tips on safety, substance abuse and domestic violence. They also encouraged the public to report poor police service delivery.
Focus on Boksburg’s high crime rates
In an exclusive interview with the Boksburg Advertiser, Sithole said the quarterly crime stats indicated that crime has significantly increased in Boksburg, particularly property and contact crimes.
“It is for that reason that we decided to assist the Boksburg police to stem the rising tide of crime and ensure increased police visibility so that the community of Boksburg can feel safe.
“We know that Boksburg also has a problem of infrastructure vandalism and drugs. So the established teams have been working on these issues. We are yet to get feedback from the infrastructure unit, but the group dealing with the drug issues has managed to make several arrests for drug-related crimes.
“We also have a team that is looking at second-hand goods shops because we know that sometimes these businesses are used by criminals to sell their stolen goods including cable stolen from our infrastructure.”
Sithole urged motorists to exercise patience when law enforcement agencies are carrying out the multi-disciplinary operation.
“We do understand it negatively affects traffic flow, but the public needs to understand that we intend to create a safe environment for the communities by removing criminals, along with dangerous and illegal items such as guns and drugs.
“It is also our intention to recover stolen property.”
Sithole appreciated the efforts of all members who added value to the operations and announced that no serious crimes were reported at Boksburg SAPS during the presence of the teams.
Also Read: Operation Okae Molao yields more than 200 arrests and R30k in fines in Boksburg
