One thousand seven hundred and fifty (1750) suspects aged between 18 and 65 were nabbed during the Intelligence led simultaneous and parallel joint operations that were conducted across the Province until the morning of Sunday 7 February 2021.
The suspects were arrested for various offences such as possession of suspected stolen motor vehicles, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, stock theft, malicious damage to property, arson, murder, Contravention of the Disaster Management Act, possession of drugs, dealing in drugs, sexual offences, theft and other crimes.
Amongst the arrested suspects, 593 were for the Disaster Management Act related offences that include, failing to wear masks in the public space, non-compliance on the curfew and unlawful trade in liquor.
The operations which were conducted through stop and searches, road blocks, tracing of wanted suspects, comprised of members derived from the Crime Intelligence Unit, Public Order Police Unit, the Saps Limpopo Highway Patrol Team, the Stock Theft Unit, Detectives, Narcotics Unit, Crime Prevention with the support from the SANDF and the Provincial and Municipal Traffic Police.
During these operations, the police recovered the following items:
14 x firearms, 6 x motor vehicles, 6398 x sticks of illicit cigarettes, 57 x dangerous weapons including 41 knives, 243 grams of dagga, 32 dagga plants, 105 grams of cat drugs, 14 grams of nyaope drugs, 1 361 813 ml liquor, 893 summons were issued for the contravention of the Road Traffic Act, 6 shebeens were closed, 19 679 persons searched and 9519 motor vehicles were also searched.
The Provincial Stock Theft Unit had on Saturday, 6 February 2021 arrested a 46-year-old man and recovered six cattle when they were about to be sold at the auction in Marraynhill outside Pretoria in the Gauteng Province. The recovered livestock were allegedly stolen from the kraal on 5 February 2021, during the night at Blood River village in the Seshego Policing area outside Polokwane. The trailer which was used to transport the cattle was also confiscated.
Meanwhile, in the Vhembe District, two suspects aged 24 and 25 were arrested during operation ‘Tight Grip’ in Thohoyandou for a series of burglaries and business robberies. In Duthuni village, a 43-year-old man was arrested for dealing and possession of drugs and 818 sachets of nyaope drugs were confiscated.
Along the Beitbridge Port of Entry, police recovered a suspected stolen Ford Ranger and arrested three suspects aged between 43 and 58 who were also found in possession of the vehicle’s fraudulent documents while trying to cross the border post.
The arrested suspects have already started appearing before various magistrates’ courts throughout the Province.
The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba has greatly welcomed these arrests and has encouraged the members across the Province to work harder until all the citizens of this Province are and feel safe.
