LIMPOPO – In a statement issued by Police Spokesperson, Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe, he said the suspects were apprehended for various offences such as murder, illegal hunting, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, burglary at residential premises, theft out of motor vehicle, assault GBH, fraud, driving under the influence of alcohol, possession of suspected stolen properties, possession of house breaking equipment and public violence. Other charges includes indecent behavior, assault common, theft, illegal Immigration Act, RTA, drinking in public and possession of dagga.
“The operations were manned through road blocks, stop and searches, raiding of unlicensed businesses and tracing of wanted suspects. Several items including firearms, ammunition, vehicles and dagga were seized during the separate operations.”
Ngoepe stated that the following successes were made:
On Friday, 26 April, three suspected illegal hunters (aged 33, 46 and 47), were arrested by members of the Saps Stock Theft Unit with the assistance from the station members, for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition in the Lephalale Policing area.
In the same Cluster, in the Tom Burke policing area, five suspects (aged between 15 and 25) were successfully traced and arrested after they were positively linked to a house breaking incident that occurred at Sefihlogo village. “During the arrest, police recovered an unlicensed firearm, a magazine and six rounds of live ammunition.”
In addition, three suspects were arrested after the police acted on information about a black BMW X5 driving towards the direction of Lephalale. The vehicle was spotted parked at Marapong complex. The suspects tried to evade arrest but were cornered and arrested on the spot. “During the arrest, police recovered a hunting rifle, silencer wrapped in a black plastic bag and ammunition.”
Meanwhile on 21 April the police in Lulekani outside Phalaborwa cracked another poaching syndicate when three suspects (aged between 30 and 43) were arrested in the Giyani Cluster, during a joint operation conducted by the Tactical Response Team (TRT) and the Provincial Task Team.
“The members followed information about the whereabouts of the wanted suspects at Matiko-Xikaya village outside Phalaborwa and they were arrested in their hideout. During the arrest, the police managed to seize one R5 rifle, silencer, ammunition, an axe and a bakkie.”
On Friday, 26 April the Makhado Police managed to recover a hijacked vehicle after following up on information received about a unknown number of suspects planning to commit business robbery in the Nzhelele area. “Members from the station together with the Cluster Response Team spotted a vehicle matching a description of the one given and gave chase until the vehicle was found abandoned at Makushu area. Police searched the vehicle and recovered two firearms.”
All the arrested suspects will appear before different magistrate courts throughout the province soon, Ngoepe concluded.
