Pretoria -
After days of monitoring an alleged brothel in Rietondale the Tshwane Metro Police Department pounced on Thursday night and arrested one person.
This was one of the numerous drug and crime raids that the department has been carrying out over the last couple of months.
Tshwane Metro Police spokesman Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said the raids were part of the city’s efforts to ensure the capital city was free of criminal elements.
But, the metro police department believes they might be fighting a losing battle because they arrest people and within days they are released and are back on the street.
Mahamba said Thursday’s operation took place after the house had been under surveillance for a number of days.
It was the second raid in a week. In the past couple of months, 24 people from the house have been arrested for drug possession.
He said they had been inundated with calls from residents complaining about the suspicious activities around the Soutpansberg Road house.
“One of the challenges is that we arrest some of them and when we come back a few days later we find them here again and arrest them for the same things again; it doesn’t make sense,” said a frustrated Mahamba.
He added that it was not clear if the suspects were released by the police or courts.
He said they arrested four people on Sunday and two of them were back at the house on Thursday.
The house does not have electricity connections.
According to Mahamba, it has been used as a drug den and a brothel where minors have also been found during previous raids.
Pretoria News Weekend