As part of Operation Back to Basics and Safer Festive Season Operation 2017/2018, the police in the province demonstrated that lawlessness will not be tolerated when they nabbed 662 suspects for different crimes between Friday, 15 and Sunday, 17 December 2017 in the morning.
The arrests that are mostly generators of contact crimes, include 61 for driving under the influence of alcohol, 178 for possession of drugs, 108 for dealing in liquor without licence and 18 for road traffic related offences. It was during the operation that eight suspected undocumented persons were taken in for processing. The police also seized 3031745 milliliters of liquor including concoctions and closed down 16 illegal liquor outlets (shebeens).
The police also fined 117 persons for liquor related offences including drinking in public, failing to comply with conditions of liquor act while four suspects were arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms, driving under the influence of alcohol.
The operation also led to apprehension of one suspect for possession of counterfeit money. Furthermore, the police arrested three suspects for placing a cash dispensing machine contrary to the National Gambling Act, 2004 (Act No. 7 of 2004).
The suspects were arrested at four of the seven policing clusters; Rustenburg, Brits, Mahikeng and Klerksdorp.
Those arrested for possession of large quantities of possession of dagga and other drugs, possession of unlicensed firearms and contravention of the National Gambling Act are expected to appear today at various courts.
The North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane was delighted with the arrests. She said that the police will continue with the operations to deal with lawlessness and ensure that that the community is safe during this period.
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