Swara Tsotsi yields 8 000 arrests

Transport and Community Safety MEC Dickson Masemola’s vision of creating a safe and secure province continues to yield positive results as more than 8 000 suspects have been arrested during Operation Swara Tsotsi executed across Limpopo since the end of July.
Provincial Police Spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe said that 8 275 suspects have been arrested since Operation Swara Tsotsi was launched. It is led by Masemola and Provincial Police Commissioner Nneke Ledwaba and supplemented by ongoing crime intelligence tactical operations, Operation Basadi and the Provincial Operational Command Centre (POCC).
The operations were implemented through roadblocks, stop and searches, compliance inspections and tracing of wanted suspects and comprised of various Police units such as the Organised Crime Unit, Public Order Policing Unit (Pops), Crime Prevention Unit, K9 Unit, the air wing and detectives.
Swara Tsotsi saw suspects aged between 19 and 57 year being arrested for various offences including murder, rape, assault, possession of suspected stolen properties, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, possession of drugs, possession of dangerous weapons, residential and business burglaries, robbery, drunken driving, contravention of the Immigration Act and Contravention of Road Traffic Act, according to Ngoepe.

Thus far Police managed to confiscate a total of 63 firearms, 1 982 rounds of live ammunition, 34 vehicles, 76 cell phones, 13 470 g of dagga, 13 dagga plants, 113 sachets of nyaope,
15 468 ml of liquor, 574 counterfeit cigarettes, 58 knives and two pangas.
Ngoepe further reiterates that 61 176 persons and 41 772 vehicles were searched. A total of 262 residential premises, 235 schools, 239 liquor outlets, 49 business premises and 25 second-hand goods businesses were also visited.
A total of 995 fines were issued under the Liqour Act, 71 by-law-related fines, 634 traffic fines and five written warning to offenders.
Ngoepe highlighted some of the incidents during Swara Tsotsi and said that a 45-year-old man was arrested in the Groblersdal area on 29 August for being in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. Police confiscated 22 rifles, 563 rounds of live ammunition and two balaclavas.
Masemola and Ledwaba applauded members of various units for their sterling work and encouraged them not to rest until all criminals and especially all illegal firearms are removed from society.
Operation Swara Tsotsi will continue to be rolled out across the province.

Story: RC Myburgh
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