[ad_1]
By Chulumanco Mahamba 
3h ago
Johannesburg – Gauteng police cracked down on criminals over the Christmas weekend and arrested more than 1,340 suspects, including the owner of a popular Sandton liquor store.
Provincial police spokesman Capt.Kay Makhubele said that on Sunday afternoon, police led multidisciplinary forces during O Kae Molao and Safer Festive Season operations in all five districts, and that more than 100 suspects were arrested for drunk driving.
The team included members of the SAPS, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department and the Department of Home Affairs.
Makhubele said operations began with a roadblock around Gauteng, where more than 200 illegal immigrants were arrested.
“The police closed down a popular liquor establishment in Sandton that had previously been raided during the visit of the Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele, and arrested the owner after it was discovered that he was operating illegally. The place was found crowded with customers who did not observe social distancing and did not wear masks, “he said.
Liquor outlets in Tembisa and Kagiso were closed over the weekend during a morning raid in which police found a shebeen full of customers who also did not observe social distancing or wear masks.
“This shebeen was also running long after curfew time. The owners were arrested and the liquor confiscated after the outlets were found to be operating without valid licenses, ”Makhubele said.
The SAPS in Tshwane district arrested 450 suspects during joint and intensified operations and tracking of wanted suspects. The suspects were arrested for serious and violent crimes, including murder and rape.
West Rand District Police also collaborated with other law enforcement agencies, resulting in the arrest of 268 suspects. Among those arrested were suspects charged with kidnapping, assault with intent to inflict bodily harm, assault, robbery, fraud and rape. In Ekurhuleni, more than 300 suspects were arrested for various crimes.
“These arrests were made in operations that included stops and searches, patrols and roadblocks. Twenty suspects were arrested for drug possession, 16 for selling liquor without a license, while others were arrested for numerous serious and violent crimes, “said Makhubele.
He added that in Sedibeng 90 suspects were arrested for crimes that included theft of homes, possession of stolen property, possession of stolen vehicles, theft, violation of the protection order, driving while intoxicated, cases related to domestic violence, malicious damage to property and human trafficking. unlicensed liquor.
“The arrested suspects will soon appear in various magistrates’ courts in the province,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) announced yesterday that more than 3,000 motorists had been arrested across the country for violating traffic regulations since the beginning of this month. “Most of the suspects (1,328, or 43%) were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. A total of 496 or 16% were arrested for driving speeds above the legal limit, ”said RTMC.
The highest number of drunk drivers was caught in Gauteng and Limpopo, where approximately 372 and 342 arrests were made, respectively, and the National Traffic Police arrested about 352 motorists.
“The highest speed recorded was on the N1 near Ventersburg, where a motorist was caught driving at 242 km / h in a 120 km zone,” RTMC said.
The organization said that some of the common crimes RTMC noted involved people driving without a license, producing false documentation, reckless and negligent driving, overloading of goods, and operating public transport against the terms and conditions of their operating permit. .
“Enforcement will intensify before and during the long weekend of New Years Day,” RTMC said.
The star
[ad_2]
