A police helicopter circled over areas of Brakpan on Friday and kept a bird’s eye view during a special crime prevention operation.
The operation was held in conjunction with the Brakpan SAPS Crime Prevention Unit, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) and Department of Home Affairs.
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Illegal land occupations were also addressed during the operation and several shacks which have popped up in the veld opposite Carnival City, between Dalpark Extension One and Helderwyk Estates, were demolished.
The structures were destroyed with the assistance of the EMPD’s Land Invasion Unit.
Seven illegal immigrants were arrested and some illegal mining and gold-processing paraphernalia was seized.
Lieut-Col Peet van der Schyff from the Brakpan SAPS told the Herald the operation had a positive impact on crime over the weekend.
“The visibility helped and there were fewer incidents,” he said.
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