9 000 nabbed in anti-crime blitz
2008-01-31 11:30
Johannesburg - North West police have arrested more than 9 000 people during a crime prevention operation lasting three months, police said on Thursday.
Superintendent Louis Jacobs said a crime prevention operational plan was put in place in October in the build-up to the festive season.
Additional operations were put in place as from October 1 and these were maintained until the finalisation of the operation on Thursday.
"For the period in question, 9 185 people were arrested. A staggering 4 472 of them were arrested in connection with serious crimes."
Among those arrested were 2 046 people for violent crimes against another person. These include offences such as murder, attempted murder, rape and attempted rape, robbery, assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, and indecent assault.
Crimes with 'economic motive'
"Close to 1 700 were also arrested for crimes committed with an economic motive such as housebreaking, theft of cellular phones, theft of motor vehicle, theft out of motor vehicle, stock theft and fraud," Jacobs said.
The operation also focused on drug and serious liquor related crimes, and in this regard 521 people were arrested.
More than 500 illegal liquor outlets as well as 41 licensed premises were closed, and a further 111 licensed premises were charged for contravening the Liquor Act.
Drug such as dagga, cocaine, ecstasy, mandrax and heroine were confiscated.
"The proliferation of firearms and the removal of illegal firearms from the system was high on the agenda, and this resulted in 53 arrests and the seizure of 169 firearms and more than 1 000 rounds of ammunition."
North West police commissioner Lesetja Ephraim Beetha was satisfied with the outcome of the operation.
"Knowing that nearly 400 roadblocks, more than 5 000 stop and search operations and various other crime prevention initiatives formed part of the bigger operation, police management in the province is satisfied with the successes achieved," he said.
The commissioner said the number of arrests and seizures was an indication of the commitment of North West police officials.
- SAPA