Benoni Police Station acting commander Col Thomas Maupa suspected that break-ins were prompted by the fact that many residents were on holiday.
He said the break-ins led to cases of malicious damage to property being opened.
“Thieves might have taken advantage of the residents’ absence during the holidays,” he said.
He added that several people were also arrested for assault crimes.
“Other crimes were not problematic; we had a quiet festive season,” said Maupa.
He said the police staged several roadblocks in conjunction with the Gauteng Traffic Police, on the N12 Highway, with the latest being on January 5.
“On January 5 we managed to search 702 people and 596 cars and issued 26 traffic fines worth R8 500,” said Maupa.
Nine illegal immigrants were also arrested during the operation and 53 counterfeit DVDs were confiscated.
Maupa added that, during the festive season highway operations, 20 people, including pedestrians, were arrested on the N12 for various crimes.
“All in all the area was quiet,” he added.
