PARKTOWN – One thousand one hundred and seventy (1170) suspects were arrested by police during operations conducted across all five districts in Gauteng this Easter weekend. Among those arrested is the owner of liquor outlet who was charged with contravention of level one lockdown regulations in Muldersdrift West Rand, Video Informal Settlement. The owner was arrested on Saturday, 03 April 2021 at about 04:00 in the morning.

During O Kae Molao Operations that were conducted in Orlando and Diepkloof, Soweto, led by Gauteng Police Acting Commissioner Major General Tommy Mthombeni and Johannesburg District Commissioner Major General Max Masha together with MEC for Community Safety Ms Faith Mazibuko, police arrested nineteen drunk and driving suspects at N17 road block, impounded a suspected stolen vehicle, while detectives arrested over 80 suspects, wanted for various serious and violent crimes.

In Tshwane, over 500 suspects were arrested during the operation and among the arrested suspects were those who were found drunk and driving while a number of illegal liquor outlets were closed and liquor confiscated.

During the early hours of Saturday, 03 April 2021, another team pounced on a workshop in Johannesburg CBD where counterfeit goods with an estimated value of R5.2 million were seized and over 150 suspects arrested

Meanwhile over 390 suspects were nabbed in Ekurhuleni District by integrated law enforcement agencies for various offences that include driving while under the influence of alcohol.

The above arrests brought to a total of 1170 suspects arrested over the long weekend across all five districts.

A total of twelve firearms were recovered during the operations and the firearms will be subjected to ballistic testing to establish possible linkage to other crimes.

The arrested suspects are expected to appear before the various respective courts across Gauteng Province in due course.

Source: South African Police Service