PARKTOWN – Police Minister, General BH Cele, together with the Deputy Minister of Police, Mr Cassel Mathale, Deputy National Commissioner, Lieutenant General Fannie Masemola, Gauteng Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, and Chief of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department, Chief David Tembe, in the early hours on Friday morning 08 November 2019, led the crime prevention and combatting operations in Johannesburg where the first activation led to the finding of over 300 undocumented foreign nationals in a 21-storey building in Hillbrow. Three suspects, two women and a man were arrested for hijacking the building after police were able to locate the rightful owner.
A total of 380 (353 males and 27 females) undocumented nationals from Malawi and Zimbabwe, including those found during roadblocks and in other operations, were taken in for processing and verification of their stay in the country.
To this end, six Malawian nationals – four (04) juveniles and two (02) pregnant women were released pending their appearance before Immigrations Authorities to prepare for their direct deportation.
Meanwhile, police were also able to trace 124 suspects on whom warrants of arrests were executed for a range of crimes.
This symbolised the kick-off of the safer festive season campaign in Gauteng that was formally launched later in the day at Joubert Park in the Johannesburg CBD, where Minister General Bheki Cele delivered the keynote address to over 2000 guests.
Roadblocks were mounted at strategic points in all the five districts in the Province and saw a few road unworthy cars being impounded, and fines issued for contravention of road traffic regulations.
A stolen police firearm was found on a wanted suspect, a Mozambican national, who was also driving a suspected stolen vehicle on the N12 in Alberton. This brings to total four (04) firearms recovered after one firearm was confiscated at a roadblock on the N3 and a suspect arrested, and two firearms recovered during a hostel raid in Thokoza where a suspect was arrested.
A lot more other crime areas were addressed where in Johannesburg, police confiscated counterfeit goods estimated at R25 million at Lotto Building on Rahima Moosa Street. Police also found in the building and seized equipment such as stencils and plates suspected of being utilised to produce counterfeit luxury and sports brand labels.
Visits were made to a number of pubs, clubs, liquor stores and tuck shops. Police together with agents of the Gauteng Liquor Board issued fines amounting to R9000-00 and confiscated liquor whose estimated value exceeds R1,4 million. Counterfeit Rizla rolling paper and cigarettes were also confiscated. One suspect was arrested during the liquor operations.
A case of fraud was opened in Midrand pending further investigation, after a tip-off on suspected stolen SIM-cards led police to a warehouse. SIM-cards of various mobile service providers packed in thousands of boxes, together with suspected SIM-card manufacturing machines were seized for further investigation, while about twenty (20) undocumented foreign nationals were found on the premises and were taken in for processing and verification as part of the 380 mentioned above.
Management of the police in Gauteng have welcomed the successes which have set the tone for the safer festive season operations that will continue until the end of January 2020.
Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, alongside the Chiefs of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and Gauteng Traffic Police; Department of Home Affairs and SARS, on behalf of the Provincial Joint Intelligence and Operational Structure, declared the readiness of the Gauteng Law Enforcement Agencies and assured the residents of Gauteng that police will work hard to deliver a safer festive season.
Residents of Gauteng can look forward to high visibility in known hotspots such as shopping centres and malls; more roadblocks to address road fatalities; visits by the police to places of entertainment; and more shut-downs of illegal liquor outlets; and generally more crime prevention operations.
Members of the public are encouraged to use the newly launched MySAPS app to provide tip-offs anonymously and/or to find their nearest police station. The app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store onto a smartphone. A USSD string is also available for feature phone users.
Police in Gauteng remain resolute in turning the tide against crime – zizojika izinto.
Source: South African Police Service