Tshwane police arrested 596 suspects over the weekend
"A drop in cash-in-transit heists and bank robberies is a result of police visibility."
Police arrested 596 persons for various crimes during high-density crime prevention operations in Tshwane over the past three days.
Charges ranged from murder, stolen motor vehicles, driving under the influence, common assault, drug possession, fraud and drinking in public, according to police spokesperson Warrant-Officer Johan van Dyk.
“Operations started on Friday and concluded on Sunday morning,” Van Dyk said.
The operations were coordinated under the command of Major-General Azwinndini Nengovhela.
In total, 302 suspects spent their entire weekend behind bars.
Saturday’s multidisciplinary operation involved the Gauteng traffic department, the Departments of Home Affairs, Correctional Services and Community Safety as well as Tracker and SAPS officers from various units and stations.
Van Dyk said the main focus of the operations was between the Mamelodi and Silverton policing areas, which resulted in the arrest of 294 suspects.
“Twenty-nine of these arrests were for gender-based violence-related incidents; 925 persons were searched, which resulted in 11 persons being arrested for drinking in public; two for possession of drugs; two for dealing in drugs; two persons for obstruction of justice, and 34 undocumented immigrants,” the warrant added.
During the stop-and-search police confiscated about 35 cartons of cigarettes and 31 Ziplock sachets of different types of drugs.
Meanwhile, the police have noted a decrease in crimes such as cash-in-transit heists and bank robberies in September and December 2022.
This was confirmed by national police spokesperson Lirandzu Themba.
Themba said this drop can be attributed to heightened police visibility and operations such as stop-and-searches, vehicle checkpoints as well as roadblocks.
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