Pretoria – More than 2 500 people have been arrested across Limpopo in ongoing joint operations conducted by different units of the South African Police Service.
The 2 511 suspects, aged between 19 and 59, were nabbed in operations which began on January 9, targeting “all sorts of criminal activities”, Limpopo police spokesman Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said.
Of these, a total of 1 274 were nabbed for contravening the Covid-19 alert level 3 restrictions stipulated as per South Africa’s Disaster Management Act. The crimes include the sale and transportation of liquor and breaking the overnight curfew.
“During these operations, police recovered five firearms, 10 stolen vehicles, including two tipper trucks, 55 dangerous weapons, counterfeit cigarettes, various drugs such as cocaine, crystal meth, nyaope and dagga, and various other items,” said Ngoepe.
In the Capricorn district, a SAPS Limpopo highway patrol team arrested a 39-year-old liquor store owner from Botlokwa outside the city of Polokwane who was selling alcohol in breach of a national ban.
“He was further charged with bribery after he allegedly offered the police a R5 000 bribe. In addition, police arrested three suspects separately for possession of suspected stolen motor vehicles linked with Dennilton, Lebowakgomo and Seshego cases.
’’The suspects were arrested around Siyabuswa and Witbank in the Mpumalanga province and Lenasia in the Gauteng province,” said Ngoepe.
“The other vehicle, a Toyota Conquest was found abandoned at Ga-Mathibela village in the Zebediela policing area.”
Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nneke Ledwaba applauded the operational police officers for their “endless commitment in the fight against crime”.
IOL