Limpopo police makes over 1 000 arrests during weekly joint operation

LIMPOPO – The provincial police commissioner, Lt Genl Thembi Hadebe, commended the police for the zero-tolerance approach towards crime after yet another successful week of joint operations which were conducted simultaneously throughout all clusters in the province.

The latest weekly operation which was conducted from Sunday (July 18) until Monday (July 26) saw the arrest of 1 4 21 people for crimes ranging from murder, attempted murder, rape, burglary through to possession of illegal firearms and ammunition and dealing in drugs and illicit cigarettes.

Of the 1 421 people arrested, 312 face charges related to the contravention of Disaster Management Act (DMA).

According to police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapleo the simultaneous operations were mainly focused on primary an secondary routes including hotspot areas and were conducted by members from K9 Unit, Provincial Tracking Team, Tactical Response Team (TRT), Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit (VCIU), Crime Intelligence Unit, Crime Prevention Unit, Provincial Operations Command Center (POCC) and other law enforcement agencies and stakeholders.

The weekly operations led to the confiscation of 63 dangerous weapons including knives, seven stolen vehicles, 13 firearms and various amounts of drugs, illicit cigarettes and illegal liquor. “Eight shebeens were closed and 907 fines issued,” he added.

He mentioned a few of the operational successes made:

Read more: Three escapees re-arrested after fleeing custody along R101 outside Polokwane

Illicit cigarettes

The fight against smuggling of illicit cigarettes received another boost when the police arrested a 34-year-old man for possession of illicit cigarettes. Mojapelo said members of the Crime Prevention Unit arrested the man at his home in Bochum on Friday after they received a tip-off about his alleged illegal activity. “Illicit cigarettes worth over R200 000 were confiscated during the arrest.”

Stolen motor vehicle

A group of men were arrested in Tshivhungululu village in the Vhembe district after they were caught red handed stripping what is believed to be a stolen motor vehicle. “Members of the Highway Patrol Team (HPT), Thohoyandou Crime Prevention, TRT and Public Order Police members acted on a positive tip-off about men stripping a vehicle and arrested three men, aged between 30 and 42.

“Preliminary police investigations indicated that the vehicle was stolen around Thohoyandou,” he said.

Dealing in drugs

Members of the HPT on Tuesday arrested two men in Tubatse for dealing in drugs. “The members were patrolling the area around Monsterlus Taxi rank when they spotted a suspected drug dealer. They stopped the 24-year-old man and searched him and found 10 plastic bags containing nyaope.”

The man then tipped off the police about another man in the area dealing in drugs. “The second man was searched and found in possession of 2kg of dagga with an estimated street value of R10 000.”

Meanwhile, in Bela-Bela the police arrested two people, aged 20 and 23 at Bela-Bela Old location, for possession of nyaope worth R20 000.

Illegal liquor

Three people were arrested in the early hours of Monday after they were caught with illegal liquor after curfew. Mojapelo explained that the HPT members were patrolling around Burgersfort at around 01:00 when they stopped a speeding vehicle along the R37 road.

“The police searched the vehicle and found a  cooler box filled with liquor to the value of R2 000 and after all three occupants failed to produce permits to be on the road during curfew hours, they were arrested and charged for contravening the DMA.”

Read more: Six arrested for carjacking outside Giyani

Some of the arrested suspects have started appearing in the local magistrates’ court, whilst others were released on a warning to appear in court at a later stage or pay an admission of guilt fine for DMA transgressions.

Hadebe thanked the public and private sectors for their continued support in the fight against crime.