Management of the police in Gauteng have lauded the vigour with which all law enforcement roleplayers in the province responded to BUYA MTHETHO, an operational plan responding to government’s clarion call for an urgent strategy to address the surge in lawlessness, restore safety and ultimately restore public confidence in the law enforcement space.
Parallel to the BUYA MTHETHO launch in Tembisa on Thursday 2 August 2018 by Police Minister Bheki Cele, police conducted joint intelligence driven operations across the Province, seeing over 656 suspects arrested for various serious crimes that include possession of: unlicensed firearms and ammunition, drugs, hijacked vehicles, other stolen property and 48 undocumented persons.
In one such intelligence led BUYA MTHETHO operation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), six suspects were arrested at an illegal refinery in Ekurhuleni East after tons of gold and other items related to contravention of the Precious Metal Act, Act 28 of 2002 were seized.
Four suspects who are on the Detectives’ list of the 50 most wanted, were successfully traced in relation to multiple cases that include rape, attempted rape and other sexual offences.
Goods with an estimated value of over R32 million were seized in the Johannesburg CBD alone, while 9 shebeens were closed down in Tshwane West and Tembisa (Sethoga Hostel) respectively, with an estimated volume of 5 000 litres of liquor worth about R200 000 also confiscated.
Twenty six taxis were impounded from a taxi rank in Tembisa, and 43 from two taxi ranks in Pretoria. A number of unroadworthy vehicles were also confiscated and a number of licences suspended.
Of equal significance is the arrest of three male suspects whose ages range between 24 and 44 at an informal settlement in Germiston on Thursday afternoon 2 August 2018, after police stopped and searched a suspicious vehicle, finding an assault rifle (R5), two magazines and over 70 live ammunition in the boot of the luxury sedan.
The three have been charged with possession of illegal firearm and ammunition pending further investigation by the Provincial Investigating Unit, for possible linkage to other crimes.
All suspects will appear in the respective courts in Gauteng Province in due course.
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