Body blow for criminals
Members patrolled from area to area within the Scottburgh SAPS policing precincts to apprehend wanted suspects, prevent crime and shake a powerful fist at criminals.
SCOTTBURGH residents could be forgiven for thinking that martial law was declared in the town last Friday evening.
Law enforcement convoys with about 100 troops swept through the streets.
Criminals fled for the hills, some not making it, as ‘Operation Fiela’ clicked into gear.
This was a well-oiled crime prevention operation with Scottburgh SAPS, SANDF and associated law enforcement organisations working together.
‘Fiela’, which loosely translates as to ‘clean up’ in Sotho, is a national campaign, criticised in some anti-xenophobia circles, but proving to be highly effective in fighting crime in general.
Well over 100 personnel from the South African National Defence Force, Port Shepstone Vehicle Identification Section, Immigration, Durban and Umzinto K9 Units, Port Shepstone and Durban Tactical Response Teams, Port Shepstone Public Order Police, Port Shepstone and Scottburgh Crime Intelligence and the Scottburgh SAPS, cooperated.
Members patrolled from area to area within the Scottburgh SAPS policing precincts to apprehend wanted suspects, prevent crime and shake a powerful fist at criminals.
The show of force was clearly successful as the streets and illegal taverns were unusually quiet for month-end.
The only reported crime was a single burglary in the Pennington area.
A road block resulted in nine motorists being charged with drunken driving and one with using false identification number plates.
Port Shepstone Cluster Commander, Major General Thembi Ndlovu, said: “My sincere thanks and appreciation to every official who was part of Operation Fiela on Friday night. This must be a warning to criminals that we have the will and the capacity to remove them from society. As and when the need arises, I will arrange for large scale operations in the areas hardest hit by crime.”
