WATCH: Bheki Cele raids Newcastle nightclub

The establishment was said to have been operating past midnight, which is against Covid-19 regulations, Northern Natal News reports.

Patrons were witnessed being ushered off the premises by police officials.

A statement issued by SAPS KwaZulu-Natal read, “Over the past three days, police officers from the Amajuba District, together with additional police reinforcements from the province, mounted operations in the three police precincts [Newcastle, Osizweni and Madadeni] to deal with wanted criminals, mushrooming liquor outlets and rampant drug use that is contributing to criminality amongst the youth.”

The operations, which were held… “until the early hours of this morning consisted of roadblocks, stop and searches, drug raids, raids on illegal liquor outlets as well as suspect raids, that were conducted to arrest offenders wanted for various crimes.”

SAPS has indicated that 211 suspects were arrested.