Cape Town - Police in Limpopo have yielded successful results after they managed to arrest 1 632 suspects between April 10 to 17.
According to provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Mamphaswa Seabi, the arrests come after joint operations.
The suspects are aged between 19 and 60, and were arrested for various charges, which include possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, possession and dealing in drugs and illicit cigarettes, murder, attempted murder, robberies, burglaries, theft of a motor vehicle, contravention of the Road Traffic Act, sexual offences, stock theft and more.
On Saturday, members attached to the Highway Patrol along with detectives from Motetema arrested a 31-year-old man after he was linked to a murder committed days earlier in Tafelkop.
The man was arrested at his house in Makapea Village. Police also confiscated an unlicensed 9mm pistol and ammunition.
“During the same operation, a 23-year-old suspect was arrested at Ga-Maroga village in the Driekop policing area for possession of illegal explosives that included trunklines, shock tubes and electric detonators to the estimated street value of R180 000.
“Furthermore, police recovered Nyaope drugs and dagga during the search inside the house,” Seabi said.
Officers also managed to thwart a business robbery and arrested four suspects.
A firearm, ammunition, a knife, hand gloves and a rope, which are believed to be used in the commission of a crime, were also confiscated.
Further investigation led police to positively link the suspects to a different business robbery committed.
“A 60-year-old man was arrested for illegal mining after he was caught transporting chrome along the R37 near Sekhukhune on April 11, 2022, at about 7am. Police stopped a white tipper truck which was found loaded with chrome. Preliminary police investigations have revealed that the chrome was mined in Atok and was being transported to Mecklenburg,” Seabi said.
During operations, a vehicle was found to be loaded with 116 suspected stolen live chickens, estimated to be valued at R10 000.
The operations also resulted in the issuing of 321 fines for liquor-related offences, and 21 shebeens were closed during this time.
“Furthermore, during these operations police confiscated nine firearms, a stolen motor vehicle, 33 dangerous weapons, 2 379 043 ml liquor, 270 925 sticks of illicit cigarettes, 69 548 grams of dagga and five dagga plants, 23 knives, 1 720 fines, and compliance notices relating to the Road Traffic Act were also issued.
“The suspects arrested during these operations are expected to appear before different magistrate courts throughout the province,” Seabi added.
IOL