23 Illegal immigrants arrested in Roodepoort blitz
More than 20 undocumented persons detained in early morning police operation.
Proactive policing was once again proven to be the most effective method of combating crime on Thursday, May 15, when crime fighters took to the streets on a mission to tackle illegal immigration.
The early morning operation yielded excellent results, with three police bakkies filled with arrested illegals in less than an hour after the convoy set out from the Roodepoort Police Station.
Roodepoort police, backed up by Gauteng Traffic Wardens, local security companies and CPF members, including members of the Sector Specialised Operations Patrollers (SSOP), focused on pre-identified sites throughout Roodepoort, and from the onset, it was clear that their intelligence was spot-on.3
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At the corners of Adderley and Sonop streets, a group of people scattered in all directions at first sight of the approaching convoy, hastily attempting to get away, but not fast enough.
Police had planned for this and, in an expertly co-ordinated effort, set off in pursuit, managing to round them up. Some gave up the hopeless escape and gave no resistance, while others fled into the adjacent open area, only to be cornered and arrested.
One man almost escaped but was run down by police as he tried to cross the railway line.
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The second stop was at the Kilburn Shopping Centre, where a large group of men were discovered ready to climb aboard a bakkie, having just been hired by a contractor for the day.
Closer inspection revealed that the majority of them were, in fact, illegal.
A quick stop at the police station to drop off the arrested individuals and make space for more in the bakkies, and the convoy set off to Witpoortjie.
At the corners of Progress Road and Corlett Avenue, people made a mad dash for freedom, hastily retreating into the rapidly growing informal settlement, only to run straight into a group of waiting police officers, security personnel and CPF members.
This scenario was repeated at Dirkie Uys Street, where one of the fleeing men even tried to scramble over a wall and into someone’s yard to escape, but was swiftly tackled and arrested.
In all, police managed to arrest more than 20 illegal immigrants in just over an hour.
