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A salvage yard with six stolen vehicles stripped, including a luxury one that was towed from the scene of an accident, was discovered by police at Bushkoppies in Lenasia, Johannesburg, on Friday.
Police also discovered a boat, a trailer and 10 vehicles whose VIN numbers were altered. These were seized for further investigation, according to police spokeswoman Brig Mathapelo Peters.
“The Provincial Vehicle Crimes Investigation Unit has opened an investigation for further investigation as no suspects have yet been arrested,” he said.
These were discovered during a multidisciplinary operation called O Kae Molao and led by Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela and Community Security MEC Faith Mazibuko.
Seven more cars, including a Quantum, were seized at a roadblock on the N12 on suspicion of having been stolen or hijacked.
Meanwhile, a suspect was arrested after allegedly attempting to bribe police officers and brand managers who were in the process of seizing counterfeit products found in his possession.
“Not far from this scene, another team working with Sars Customs on an intelligence-driven activation swooped down on a house and found boxes of illicit cigarettes whose value has yet to be determined. Boxes containing cartons of different illicit cigarettes were stacked on the ground floor and on the first floor of the two-story house, ”Peters said.
The operation was carried out in several places and led to the arrest of another 187 suspects for different crimes, 34 of whom were arrested for being in the country illegally.
148 of the arrested suspects were successfully tracked down during detective raids on warrants for crimes such as murder, assault with intent to cause serious bodily injury, child neglect, pointing a firearm and drug possession, according to Peters.
A total of 277 suspects, 222 of whom were on the list of suspects wanted by the police, were arrested in Ekurhuleni. Some of the suspects were arrested for drug possession and / or trafficking, including Mandrax and nyaope, while several liquor outlets were closed for various infractions and the liquor seized, Peters added.
Meanwhile, operations in Tshwane resulted in the arrest of 279 wanted suspects, three for drug possession and 11 for being in the country illegally. Five illegal liquor stores were closed and five merchants were fined for violating the Second-Hand Goods Law.
Mawela praised the arrests, made as a result of a partnership between the SAPS in Gauteng and private stakeholders.
“Earlier I said that we need to keep the momentum from these crackdowns on panel knockers or court shops to finally stifle the hijacking and car theft market, as this often comes with a lot of violence against victims,” Mawela said .
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