The Midrand policing precinct recorded the second-highest number of commercial crime cases reported nationally from July to September this year.
This was according to Minister of Police Bheki Cele during the announcement of the national second-quarter crime statistics on November 23.
Midrand police recorded 367 commercial crimes which included corruption, fraud, forgery, embezzlement and money laundering, during this period. This amounted to a 33.9% increase in comparison to the same period in the previous year.
They also ranked fourth for other serious crimes such as theft, commercial crime and shoplifting, 882 cases were reported making a 30.5% increase since last year.
In other crimes, the precinct recorded the ninth highest for burglary at non-residential premises with 83 cases. Then for all theft not mentioned elsewhere, Midrand ranked eighth with 418 (34.8% increase). For shoplifting, Midrand placed 10th in the country and ninth for carjacking.
According to Cele, contact crimes remained a concern nationally. “Violence meted out not only against women and children but violence playing out in our homes on our roads, and even inside public safe spaces, such as churches and schools, is staggering.
“The rate at which women are abused, violated and some killed in South Africa remains worrying and unacceptable; many are killed by the people they know, people they love and trust… the reality is women continue to be victims of violent crimes in South Africa.”
“In the three months of reporting, a double-digit percentage increase was recorded for murder, attempted murder and assault GBH against women. Over 13 000 women were victims of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm between July and September 2022.
“The crime statistics again show that we as communities continue to fail to protect some of the most vulnerable in society; our children.”
Tembisa Police Station recorded the third highest in the counrty for kidnappings, at 52 cases.
One of the notable successes this year was on August 7, when Kamal Maharaj (47) was arrested by the Johannesburg Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team of the Hawks in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal for theft and fraud estimated at R20 million. A Kyalami-based packaging company employed the accused as a regional manager from October 2013. The accused was a sole signatory on two of the company’s bank accounts where he siphoned about R20 million through transfers to his own account for self-enrichment. The matter was remanded to 13 January 2023 for docket disclosure.
Related Article:
Midrand authorities promise to clamp down on festive season crime
