20 arrested in Durban North vagrant operation
The operation was in an effort to curb petty theft in the Durban North area.
![One of the shacks discovered in the raid.](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2017/02/IMG_1813.jpg)
A TOTAL of 20 people were arrested on Thursday afternoon in a vagrant raid in the Durban North area. The operation focused on the Swapo Road (Broadway), Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve and Beckenham Place. According to Durban North SAPS spokesman, Capt Raymond Deokaran, the operation was part of an ongoing initiative to combat petty crimes and vagrancy in the area.
“The raid involved members of the SAPS, the Durban North/Umhlanga CPF, the Land Invasion Unit and Marshall and Felix Security. Of the 20 arrests, 14 were charged for loitering, one was charged for being in possession of dagga while another man was taken in for questioning for being in possession of an item that we suspect is stolen, a necklace. The men will be fingerprinted to see if they can be linked to any crimes in the area.”
Mary Knox, public relations officer for the CPF hailed the operation a success.
“When I questioned one of the men who was detained as to where he found the necklace, he replied he found it in a bin. We also found a few shacks which had been put up in the bushes near the mangroves. This was an extremely successful operation. These operations are vital parts of keeping the area safe and potential criminal elements out of the area,” she said.