Police and private security firms pounced on the drug trade in the east of Pretoria on Friday.
Drug peddlers in informal settlements were also targeted.
Part of the focus were parks where drugs were being sold and an abandoned house used for the same purpose.
Street corners known for the sale of dagga and contraband cigarettes were also visited.
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A man was caught with dagga in his possession in a park near the Brooklyn mall.
A number of cigarettes were also confiscated from street vendors who did not have trading licences.
Fidelity general manager Leon Muller said the objective was a more pro-active approach in fighting crime in the east.
The emphasis was on prevention rather than cure.
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Undercover intelligence enabled the operation to focus on five spots.
The problematic drug areas included Hatfield, Sunnyside, Brooklyn and Waterkloof.
The next few weeks would see rigorous operations targeting known drug dens.
Muller said the arrests carried out would be followed up to prevent the culprits from being back on the street soon.
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A vital cog in this process was the cooperation of the community in the gathering of intelligence.
Technology would continue to play a part.
“We have installed 14 cameras between Waterkloof, Brooklyn and Menlyn we are looking to install up to 32,” said Muller.
“We are already getting hits on stolen vehicles and we immediately respond with the SAPS.
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“This is a proactive approach. We want to catch the criminals before they even commit the crime.”
He said investing in technology and equipment had improved intelligence on licence plates.
This helped, among other things, to track down stolen vehicles.
“We do conduct numerous operations but the cameras make a massive difference,” said Muller.
“There are many cars that we track down, with us ending up arresting the culprits.”
Another investment was facial recognition cameras, which Muller said would help with cornering wanted criminals.
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