LIMPOPO – The provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has lauded the operational teams in the province whose determination and diligence led to the arrest of over 1 000 suspects this past week.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said a total of 1 053 suspects, aged between 19 and 64, were arrested for various offences during simultaneous joint operations which were conducted across the province from January 23 until Sunday (January 30).
The charges include murder, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, dealing in drugs, theft, kidnapping, the contravention of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002, rape, robbery, assault and the possession and smuggling of illicit cigarettes.
Mojapelo added during the operations the members managed to recover 13 firearms, 25 dangerous weapons, 25 knives and various amounts of drugs (dagga, crystal meth and nyaope), counterfeit cigarettes and liquor.
“The members also issued 894 fines and recovered three stolen vehicles,” he said.
Mojapelo listed some of these successes:
On Sunday morning (January 30), the police managed to nab three men, aged between 29 and 46, for the possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition within the Capricorn district. Members of Limpopo Highway Patrol unit were conducting a routine patrol along the R37 road near Lebowakgomo at around 06:30 when they stopped a Toyota Fortuner for speeding, Mojapelo said.
The vehicle was searched and the unlicensed firearm and live rounds of ammunition were recovered. All three occupants were arrested.
Meanwhile, SAPS in the Vhembe district on Friday (January 28) arrested four suspects for the possession of illicit cigarettes with an estimated street value of over R1m.
Mojapelo explained the suspects were arrested in the Mara policing area during a joint operation conducted by members of the Limpopo Highway Patrol and Tracking Team. “During the operation the members confiscated a total of 120 boxes of illicit cigarettes, two Toyota Quantums and a Nissan NP200.”
The suspects, aged between 25 and 40, were arrested on the spot.
On the same day, the members in the Hlanganani policing area within the Mopani district arrested a father for the rape of his 11-year-old daughter. “It is alleged he had raped her on the same day she reported the incident to her teacher who informed the police.”
Also in the Mopani district, two men were arrested on January 28 for a spate of robbery incidents committed in the Giyani policing area between August and October 2021.
“The duo, aged 27 and 35, were also positively linked to cases of possession of ammunition and dangerous weapons in Ivory Park, Gauteng.”
Mojapelo said a toy gun with ammunition and two taser guns were recovered during their arrest.
In the Sekgosese policing area, SAPS arrested a 34-year-old suspect for murder. His arrest comes after a mob justice incident in Lemondokop village over the weekend.
“It is alleged the deceased had been accused of theft after he was found in a house belonging to ‘one of the locals’. The man was severely assaulted and succumbed to his injuries in hospital.”
More arrests are expected as investigations continue, Mojapelo added.
“Some of the suspects have already started appearing before various magistrate’s courts across the province. The operations are continuing,” he concluded.
