A second informal settlement was uncovered in the Durban North area near the M4 highway when members of the SAPS and Blue Security tactical team conducted a special operation early this morning
Blue Security’s Durban North tactical ambassador, Brendan Porter, said the operation had followed complaints from the community about petty theft, muggings and about vagrants who were sleeping outside business premises in the area at night.“This posed a problem for many people in the area including business owners who had been victims of petty theft and muggings, after they had closed up their businesses at the end of the day,” he said.
Porter said the operation had uncovered a Durban North informal settlement where more than half a dozen people had been living.“The team cordoned off and searched an area near the M4 Broadway onramp where police and members of the security firm were surprised to find a small village of informal shacks which were well hidden in the bushes. The officers found a total of eight youths, no older than 16, that were found sleeping and living in terrible conditions. They were taken to the SAPS for processing and identification,” Porter said.
“Identity documents of possible victims of muggings and a Playstation control was found among rubbish found in the area. We hope this operation will set a precedent to other vagrants in the area to move on from wherever they may be staying in the neighbourhood. We will continue to work closely together with the police to address crime in the area,” he said.
Porter said the informal settlement was the second discovered in upmarket areas North of Durban in recent months. A similar operation led to the discovery of well hidden shacks in Umhlanga’s Ridgeside area in May where officers recovered a range of stolen goods including printers, scanners, clothing, purses and handbags.
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