VANDERBIJLPARK. – Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni led a comprehensive crime fighting operation in Vanderbijlpark on Thursday, May 9.
The area notorious for housebreaking, car hijacking, and other crimes, saw a massive deployment of law enforcement agencies aiming to tackle criminal activities head-on.
Commissioner Mthombeni, along with senior police officials including Sedibeng District Commissioner Major
General Nkhensani Lemba, her deputy, Brigadier Mbangwa Nkhwashu among others spearheaded the operation, which yielded significant results.
According to statistics found after the operation, about 1,799 people were searched, eight search warrants were
executed, and 941 vehicles were searched.
Speaking to Ster at the roadblock conducted on Barrage Road, Mthombeni emphasized the importance of such operations in maintaining law and order in the area.
“This precinct is among those troubled with several crimes such as car hijackings, and house and business robberies. We are here to make sure that we strengthen assistance for the station commander of this area. Across the province, we have about 1 004 suspects arrested and 219 of those are gender-based violence related,” he said.
“We managed to arrest 39 immigrants and our focus is not only on immigrants, we also looked into those South Africans who are harbouring foreigners. We will continue to work and move our patrols to Bophelong with is another high contributor of crime,” he said.
Mthombeni said he is confident that crime in the area is seeing a decline following consistent Shanela Operations.
“We seeing some sense of decline on murders and car hijackings however we seeing a challenge on house breakings,” he said.
Here are other statistics following the operation:
- GBV and drugs pamphlets distributed: 1 600,
- PIVA (Personnel Identification Verification Audit): 129
- Fines Issued: 31
The operation also resulted in the apprehension of several individuals involved in various illegal activities:
- 1 x arrest for possession of firearm without a permit
- 2 x arrests for dealing in drugs
- 3 x arrests for possession of drugs
- 2 x arrests for possession of illicit substances
- 1 x arrest for possession of stolen goods
- 35 x arrests for illegal immigration
- 1 x arrest for employing an illegal Immigrant
Significant seizures were made during the operation:
- 1 x motor vehicle tempered with (Ford Ranger)
- 1 x Girvan pistol
- 2 x pistol magazines
- 28 rounds of live ammunition
- 3 x seizures of illicit cigarettes
- 3 x seizures of drugs.
