LIMPOPO – The provincial police commissioner, Lt Genl Thembi Hadebe, has lauded the police for their persistent crime-fighting efforts which this past week resulted in the arrest of 1 3777 people.
The arrested culprits were arrested during simultaneous operations which were conducted throughout the province from August 29 to September 6. They face charges related to rape, murder, armed robbery, attempted murder, assault, robbery, stock theft, malicious damage to property, dealing in drugs, possession of unlawful firearms and ammunition and the Contravention of the Disaster Management Act.
Police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said the operations comprised of members of police, aided by other law enforcement agencies and were executed through roadblocks, stop and searches, raiding of unlicensed businesses including liquor outlets and tracing of wanted suspects.
He mentioned a few of the week’s successes:
Business robbery suspects arrested in Mopani
The police arrested five men in connection with a spate of business robberies committed in Mopani District. The group would target foreign-owned shops and other businesses and flee the scene in a white Toyota Corolla.
“On Thursday (September 2) a similar vehicle, with five occupants, was spotted along the Tickyline road. A team of operatives from the Tzaneen Tracking Team (TTT), Mopani Detectives assisted by Willie of Wilkie K9 and Letaba Security jointly operating in the area cornered the said vehicle and arrested all five suspects.”
Mojapleo said that during the operation the team confiscated explosives, firearms and ammunition, clothing, number plates for different vehicles and 13 cellphones. “One of the seized firearms was reported to have been stolen from a security company in Bolobedu.”
Seshego police nab three for murder
On Saturday (September 4) the detectives from Seshego arrested three suspects, aged between 32 and 54, in connection with the murder of a 37-year-old man. “The victim was severely assaulted the day before at Moletjie GaMakibelo. He succumbed to the injuries on arrival at a local hospital,” he added.
Three arrested for robbery at mall in Bela-Bela
“The prompt reaction by members of the Crime Prevention unit and Vispol members from Bela-Bela and Modimolle jointly with Highway Patrol Team led to the arrest of three suspects on Friday (September 3).” Mojapelo said the suspects , aged between 28 and 39, were arrested shortly after they committed business robbery at a clothing store at Bela-Bela mall. During the arrest the police recovered stolen cellphones to the value of R500 000.
Copper cables worth R15 000 recovered outside Groblersdal
Members of the Groblersdal Crime Intelligence Unit, crime prevention members supported by Gunmary Security have arrested a 27-year-old suspect for possession of copper cables with an estimated street value of R15,000. Mojapelo said the suspect was arrested along the R25 Vaalfontein road outside Groblersdal on Friday (September 3).
Crystal meth dealer nabbed in Lebowakgomo
The police in Lebowakgomo jointly with Capricorn District Tracing team on Thursday (September 2), arrested a 43-year-old suspect for dealing in crystal meth drugs at his house in Extension 73, Lebowakgomo. During the search, nine small plastic bags containing the drugs with the estimated street value of R500 were confiscated.
Some of the arrested suspects have appeared before the local magistrate’s courts, while the remaining culprits await their court dates.
