Durban — Law enforcement in eThekwini has embarked on a joint destabilisation clean-up operation in an effort to clear the city of drug addicts and illegal foreign nationals suspected to be committing robberies in Durban.
On Thursday and Friday, the operation was carried out around the M4 interchange in the Albert Park area where many whoonga addicts had settled.
“We are in a campaign to clean the city, we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the city is clean,” said Metro Police spokesperson Colonel Boysie Zungu on Sunday.
During the operation on Thursday, high police visibility caused drug addicts and illegal foreign nationals to run away.
According to a Facebook post shared in the Umbilo Community Police Forum captioned “Durban Central – Posted as received” some drug addicts and foreign nationals were taken and checked for any criminal involvement.
Zungu said the same operations would be continued by visiting all the known hideouts and bridges around the city to claim back Durban.
The operation was a joint one between Metro Police, the SAPS as well as UIP.
SAPS had not responded to a query on the operation.
Reacting to the post on the CPF group Di Byrne asked: “All very well, but where are they going to go now?”.
Rome Burning speculated saying that the drug addicts would now be going to Glenwood and surrounding areas like they did the last time the police embarked on such a clean-up.
“Let’s hope they also cleaned them out from the side of the Southern Freeway. They have lived there for many years now,” said Rome Burning.
Lesley Raynard said continuously doing this would eventually bring the city back to law-abiding citizens and encouraged police to continue with the operation.
“It’s never too late… Well done but continue.”
Pieter Ferreira said it was “about time” that this was done.
In 2019 and 2016 the Daily News reported on a similar clean-up operation which also targeted the railway line under Williams Street.
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