The Honeydew police, with the help of Metro police, have continued their drive to clamp down on illegal shebeens and liquor outlets in the Cosmo City and Zandspruit area.
Thirteen illegal liquor outlets and shebeens have been shut down and many arrests have been made by the police so far since 21 September.
Honeydew Police Station spokesperson Captain Balan Muthan said the police have adopted a zero-tolerance approach in the illegal dealing of alcohol in the area and beyond. “We are shutting these places down daily, not just on weekends when this type of activity is at its most prevalent, and there is a lot more work to be done,” he said.
Large consignments of liquor have been confiscated by the police to be used as evidence in various trials. When trials have been concluded, all confiscated alcohol will be destroyed.
“What we find more and more in these communities is people not adhering to the rules. The majority of our incidents of assaults, rape, murder and domestic abuse are stemming from places known to sell liquor illegally, where people can congregate and get drunk.”
Muthan added that these establishments are a hotbed of criminal activity, where beyond the physical incidents that occur there, wider criminal activity in the area is discussed and planned.
“Our goal is to eradicate the presence of these shebeens and illegal liquor outlets, and we will not rest until every single one has shut its doors and those behind them are arrested,” concluded Muthan.
