POTCHEFSTROOM – In a bid to keep on turning the tide against crime and ensuring that communities are safe through crime combatting operations including the Safer Festive Season Operations, members of Zeerust Cluster Task Team, Crime Intelligence, Zeerust Police Station, Zeerust K9 (Dog Unit) and Customs Officials of the South African Revenue Services held an crime prevention operation on Friday, 17 January 2020 between 14:00 and midnight.
During the operation members received information, leading them to a house in Zeerust. After a search was conducted, drugs to the estimated street value of R15 000.00, suspected stolen property (two printers and cigarettes) to the value of R7000.00 and counterfeit R200 notes were found to the value of R7000.00. A substantial amount of cash was also found and all items seized by police.
Two males, aged 46 and 47, were arrested for the alleged dealing in drugs, being in possession of counterfeit notes and being in possession of suspected stolen property as they could not account for these goods. It is suspected that the cigarettes and printers were possibly stolen during recent business break-ins in the Zeerust area.
Furthermore police were also directed to a second house, where more drugs and cigarettes were found and seized. Thereafter members proceeded to Ikageleng Location and a third suspect, aged 40, was arrested inside a vehicle. He was allegedly found with plastic bags, containing drugs. He was also charged with dealing in drugs.
The trio will appear in the Zeerust Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 20 January 2020.
In a separate incident on Saturday morning, 18 January 2020, at Kopfontein Border Post, a taxi was stopped and search by police members on border post duty, shortly after arriving from Botswana at 09:00. During the search bags, which would normally contain blankets and clothing were allegedly found, containing illicit cigarettes. The estimated street value of the cigarettes are R 76 500.00.
A 55-year-old man was arrested for being in possession of illicit cigarettes and the goods were seized. He will appear in the Zeerust Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 20 January 2020.
The North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena welcomed the arrests and reiterated that the police working together with other law enforcement agencies will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that those who commit crime are brought to book.
Source: South African Police Service