The suspects nabbed are mostly Nigerians, Zimbabweans, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis. This comes after they infringed the Immigration Act.

The Regional Police Cluster, Reaction Task Team, Health Department, Crime Prevention, the Vaal Rand Flying Squad, Immigration and Home Affairs Departments had their hands full.

Police raided and nabbed illegal business owners, drug dealers; they closed several illegal drug dealers’ houses and shebeens, including one of the main hotels in town.

Colonel Mncedisi Mabala, regional Visible Policing Cluster Commander, said they managed to load two trucks with illegal alcohol at the Manhattan Hotel on Beaconsfield Avenue.

In terms of the Liquor Act, the owner failed to produce legal documents, he said.

A few suspected prostitution nests were also closed. The operation followed the recent attacks on houses suspected of drug-dealing and prostitution.The operation started early last week before it was slowed down by the heavy rains.

According to the Movement Control Systems Act used by the Department of Home Affairs, it was discovered that some of the immigrants’ documents had expired years ago.

The local immigration service officer contacted the national immigration identification system in Pretoria and it was discovered that the committee had declined to renew their asylum seekers permits.

“Based on this information, all the illegal immigrants are liable for deportation,” said Mabala. The police are not involved with the Immigration Department. “Our duty is to hand over all suspected foreigners for verification.

“The refugees committee decides who gets deported.”