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- R815,000 worth of alcohol has been seized by police during raids on Sandton nightclubs that operate after midnight curfew.
- Operation O Kae Law started in De Deur, Sedibeng on Saturday 24th October.
- The arrested suspects began appearing in different magistrates’ courts in Gauteng as of Monday.
Police have confiscated R815,000 worth of alcohol during raids on Sandton nightclubs operating after Sunday’s midnight curfew.
The raid by Police Minister Bheki Cele, officers from the South African Police Services (SAPS) and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) was part of Operation O Kae Molao that began in De Deur, Sedibeng, on Saturday 24 October.
On Sunday, two nightclubs were closed in Sandton and Midrand after they were found to be operating after 00:00.
SEE | Closure: Bheki Cele, police raid Sandton nightclub open after midnight curfew
Police spokeswoman Captain Mavela Masondo said more than 40 people received tickets in violation of the Disaster Management Act, while one person was arrested for cocaine possession in Midrand.
“Liquor worth an estimated R815,000 was seized from nightclubs,” Masondo added.
Cele said that total disregard for the law will not be tolerated, whether it is happening in the municipalities or in the richest corners of the country.
“The regulations are clear that no nightclub should be operational during Level One of the national shutdown, and there is still a curfew.
“Those who choose to go against these regulations aimed at combating the spread of the Covid-19 virus will face the full power of the law,” Cele added.
Meanwhile, Tshwane police raided alcoholic beverage outlets in Mamelodi and Olievenhoutbosch, where five people were arrested for selling liquor without a license.
Johannesburg Mayor Geoffrey Makhubo described the operation as a well thought out effort to make Johannesburg a safer and more livable city.
“As a city, we will not be deterred from acting against anarchy because popular people and influential people believe that the entertainment establishments they choose are above the law,” Makhubo said.
More than 60 suspects were arrested in West Rand and Ekurhuleni for driving under the influence, while another 560 suspects were arrested for crimes ranging from murder, rape, armed robbery, crimes related to domestic violence, possession of weapons of unlicensed fire and ammunition, possession of stolen motor vehicles, possession of stolen property, possession of gold material, illegal mining, fraud and bribery, and possession of drugs.
Masondo said the arrested suspects began to appear in different magistrates’ courts in Gauteng as of Monday, October 26, 2020.
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