Lentswe, Klerksdorp - The police in have their hands full with liquor, illicit cigarettes, firearms, ammo and precious metals confiscated in the province.
The police have arrested 945 suspects for a variety of crimes between October 12 and 19, across all five districts as part of Operation Shanela 2 operations. Out of the 945 arrested suspects, it is worth noting that 466 were arrested by the detectives as those on the circulated wanted suspects’ lists. The suspects were arrested for a variety of crimes, and they included 54 Illegal immigrants.
“The police addressed identified crime generators through Joint Law Enforcement compliance inspections to enforce the provisions of the Liquor and Second-Hand Goods Acts. As a result, 25 unlicensed liquor outlets (shebeens) were closed, and large quantities of liquor were confiscated. In addition, the operations led to the confiscation of a variety of drugs, three laptops, firearms, ammunition, precious metals and tobacco products,” said Col Adele Myburgh, police spokesperson.
Potchefstroom Crime Prevention recovered illicit cigarettes to an estimated value of R3.3 million on October 13.
“Information received, led members to the N12 (between Fochville and Potchefstroom), where a truck was stopped and 250 master cases of illicit cigarettes were discovered. The truck occupants, Xolani Dladla (45) and Sanele Bele (27), were arrested and appeared in the Potchefstroom Magistrates’ Court on October 15, on a charge for being in possession of illicit cigarettes. They were remanded in custody until their next court appearance on October 22.”
On October 14, an intelligence driven operation conducted by Rustenburg police, led to the arrest of two suspects for possession of suspected stolen copper cable. The police intercepted a Toyota Hilux on the R24 and found copper cable to the value of R65 000. The two accused, Ejaz Hussain Shan (36) and Prince Nyamukondiwa (37) appeared in the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court on October 17 for possession of presumed stolen property and were remanded in custody until their second court appearance on Thursday October 23 for bail application.
