Booze-fuelled party bust in the Vaal, over 100 nabbed across Gauteng

Police have arrested hundreds of suspects across Gauteng for a variety of crimes – from attending a booze-fuelled party past curfew, to illegal mining and transporting booze and illicit cigarettes.

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela, joined by a number of officials, led the O Kae Molao operations in Vanderbijlpark over the weekend.

More than 115 suspects were arrested at a roadblock, with seven motor vehicles impounded, and drugs and firearms seized by officers.

Police then obtained information about people having a party in Vanderbijlpark, pounced on the identified house and found more than 30 people drinking alcohol at about midnight, not adhering to the curfew as stipulated by the Disaster Management Act. More than 58 suspects were arrested in the West Rand for also contravening the Act.

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In Kagiso, a team comprising members of the Public Order Policing and Visible Policing units targeted an open space behind the Kagiso Cemetery and arrested eight suspects for illegal mining, two undocumented immigrants and one suspect for possession of explosives. Illegal mining equipment was also confiscated on Friday during a routine patrol. More than 88 suspects were arrested in the West Rand District.

In Tshwane, more than 347 suspects were arrested for various crimes. Police conducted roadblocks and stop-and-searches, where motorists who were found transporting liquor and illicit cigarettes were arrested.

More than 600 suspects were nabbed in Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg by integrated law enforcement agencies for various crimes.

“Police management in the province are concerned about people who undermine the lockdown regulations and continue to contravene the national Disaster Management Act and operations to enforce the regulations will be intensified in the province as long as the people fail to adhere,” said police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele.

The arrested suspects were expected to appear in various magistrate’s courts on Monday.

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