LIMPOPO – Provincial police commissioner Lt Genl Thembi Hadebe has applauded provincial police members for their ‘unrelenting positive attitude in ensuring that criminals do not have breathing space in Limpopo’.

Hadebe congratulated the members following the arrest of 1 425 suspects for various crimes between August 9-16.

In a statement, police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said the offences range from stock theft, murder and carjackings to the possession and dealing in drugs, possession of stolen properties, bribery and possession and dealing in illicit cigarettes.

Mojapelo added that an additional 131 suspects were arrested for contravention of the regulations under the Disaster Management Act.

“Police recovered 9 006 sticks of counterfeit cigarettes, 19 dangerous weapons, 715g dagga, 5.3g cocaine, 74g nyaope, 37 knives, six firearms and 11 robbed or stolen vehicles,” he explained.

Notable arrests: 

Theft in Groblersdal policing area

Two men between the age of 29 and 31 were arrested for theft of non-ferrous metals and copper cables. The men were arrested on August 10 thanks to a joint operation conducted by Groblersdal detectives and a local security company. “The men were found in possession of 12 stripped motor units valued at about R150 000,” he added.

Cable theft in Phalaborwa and Lephalale policing areas

“A 37-year-old male was nabbed on August 11. An intelligence-driven operation by the Phalaborwa Crime Intelligence Unit and Namakgale Police at Makhushane new stands in the Mopani district focused on copper cable theft. The suspect was found with his bakkie which was loaded with two drums of copper cables valued at R75 000, as well as an electronic scale valued at R3 000,” Mojapelo said.

He added that, in a separate incident, three men were nabbed by the police in Villa Nora for possession of stolen copper cables at the Villa Nora sub-station next to Shongwane 01 along the R518. Mojapelo indicated that the arrests were made on August 12 at around 06:30. “The suspects, aged between 25 and 31, were found transporting the cables from Mahlakung informal settlement in a white bakkie. The copper is valued at an estimated R55 200 and Eskom personnel identified the cables as theirs.”

Murder of women and child in Burgersfort policing area

Mojapelo said a 43-year-old man will face two counts of murder after he was arrested by Burgersfort detectives on Monday (August 16). “The suspect visited his girlfriend (the deceased) at Apiesdoring in the Burgersfort policing precinct and stabbed her and her three-year-old daughter with a sharp object several times and later fled the scene. The suspect tried to evade arrest but was nabbed while travelling on public transport to Witbank in Mpumalanga,” he explained.

Illicit cigarettes in Mokopane

The Mahwelereng Flying Squad, Limpopo Highway Patrol Unit and Mokopane AfriForum in the Waterberg district arrested a 32-year-old foreign national for the possession of illicit cigarettes. The arrest was made on August 15 at the man’s rental residence in Rabé Street, Mokopane. “Four boxes, each containing 50 cartons of Chelsea cigarettes, 32 black refuse bags each containing 50 cartons of Chelsea cigarettes and cash amounting to R6 520 were confiscated during his arrest.”

Stock theft in Tom Burke policing area

The Lephalale Crime Intelligence, K9 and stock theft units, as well as Limpopo Security Intelligence and Senyakanyaka Security arrested three men for being involved in stock theft in the Tom Burke policing area. The men, aged 26 and 47, were part of a stock theft incident on June 26. “The suspects stole five sheep valued at R5 000 from a farm in the area. Four of them were slaughtered and one was exchanged for a hunting dog, which was later recovered at Abbotspoort in the Villa Nora policing area.”

Bribery and possession of dagga in Polokwane policing area

Police stopped and searched a vehicle with one occupant on August 13. “Police discovered dagga with a street value of R2 000 concealed inside the vehicle and the man was arrested. Another man was arrested at the Polokwane Police Station after he attempted to bribe the police with R500 to release his accomplice.”

The four women and three men nabbed for operating an illegal gold refinery in Mapuve village, were also part of the 1 425 arrests.

“Some of the suspects have already started appearing in various magistrate’s court across the province. The operations are continuing,” concluded Mojapelo.