Durban — KwaZulu-Natal Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Sipho Hlomuka has applauded law enforcement after successful intelligence-driven operations.
Hlomuka lauded law enforcement agencies, particularly SAPS, for executing successful sting operations as part of the safer festive season operations last week. Police arrested a whopping 1 500 suspects from November 28 to December 5, in various operations.
The department said that since Hlomuka took over as Community Safety and Liaison MEC, he has always maintained he believes that police should focus more on intelligence-driven operations if we want to win the war against crime.
Hlomuka also welcomed the news that the 10 000 cadet officers currently at SAPS training colleges around the country will be unleashed to fight crime in the coming weeks.
“We are pleased to hear that police personnel will be augmented in our police stations, this is a welcome addition which will indeed bolster our noble course of fighting crime and protecting our citizens from criminals,” Hlomuka said.
He also said that the success of last week’s operations is a clear indication that police are indeed equal to the task of preventing crime and enforcing the rule of law.
During last week's operations, 172 persons were arrested for drug-related offences and seized 57 kg of cocaine powder, heroin and mandrax. Also, 37 firearms including revolvers, pistols and rifles were confiscated as well as 216 rounds of ammunition.
“Proliferation of illegal firearms and ammunition is one of our areas of concern as the provincial government, this is a huge achievement towards our objective of ensuring that we rid our society of all dangerous and unlicensed weapons,” Hlomuka said.
He also said that “targeted intelligence-driven operations will be carried out at targeted areas as part of the safer festive season crime prevention campaign.”
The department added that it was working closely with the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster department and is also on a heightened drive and conducting crime prevention programmes and awareness campaigns in all districts, focusing on issues of gender-based violence and innovative means of curbing the spread of stock theft, during this festive season and beyond.
Meanwhile, on Monday, KZN police said during the week from November 28 to December 5, 2022, 1 330 suspects were arrested.
Police also seized 12 rifles, 61 pistols and semi-automatic firearms among several dangerous weapons together with 913 live rounds of ammunition.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said that during the heightened police operations, 31 people were arrested for murder, 27 were nabbed for attempted murder and 32 suspects were apprehended for rape and sexual assault. Several other suspects were put behind bars for crimes ranging from robbery with aggravating circumstances, carjacking, burglary at residential and business premises, as well as stock theft.
Operations conducted during the week starting on November 21, 2022, and ending on November 28, 2022, resulted in the arrest of 1 442 suspects for various offences. These arrests included 28 for murder, 26 for attempted murder, 50 for robberies, 288 for assault and 66 for burglary.
During festive operations conducted during the same week, police seized 37 firearms including revolvers, pistols, and rifles, as well 216 rounds of ammunition.
From November 14, 2022, until November 20, 2022, 1 657 suspects were arrested for various crimes in the province while from November 7, 2022, until November 14, 2022, police officers arrested 1 868 suspects for various crimes.
That means that KZN police arrested a total of 6 297 suspects in four weeks.
Daily News