The Police in the Kimberley and surrounding areas pounced on unsuspecting wanted suspects in the early hours of this morning, 24 December 2018, as part of the Safer Festive Season operations. The Northern Cape Provincial Organised Crime Unit, The Frances Baard Cluster Detectives, Trio Crime unit, Provincial Tracing Team, Stock Theft unit, Vehicle Crime Investigation unit, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit and Detectives from Kimberley, Galeshewe, Kagisho and Roodepan formed part of this operation, where almost 40 wanted suspects were arrested. The suspects were arrested for crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, assault GBH, attempted rape, sexual assault, house breaking and theft, business burglary, theft out of motor vehicles, stock theft, possession of suspected stolen goods and possession of drugs.

In a separate success, the SAPS Provincial Border Policing and Public Order Policing Unit (POP) seized Khat at the Indian Centre in Kimberley. On Sunday, 23 December 2018 at approximately 14:30 the SAPS members followed up on information of a taxi traveling from Johannesburg en-route to Kimberley. The members stopped and searched the vehicle and found a box containing 334 Khat plants with an estimated street value of R16 700. Catha edulis is commonly known as Khat in South Africa. The plant is also a protected indigenous tree in SA. A 38-year-old man from Johannesburg was arrested for Dealing in drugs and will be appearing in court soon together with all the other arrested wanted suspects.

The Provincial Commissioner of the Northern Cape, Lieutenant General Risimati Shivuri once again thanked all the SAPS members for their hard work and praised the public for their assistance in this regard. We will surely continue in our endeavours to ensure that all offenders of the law are not granted any impunity and that we secure safety and security for all during this festive season and beyond.

Source: South African Police Service