280 arrested during Operation Fiyela
At least 280 suspects were arrested during a special police operation titled ‘Operation Fiyela’ during the long weekend.
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Some of these suspects may well have been involved in criminal activity in the Roodepoort and Florida areas. Members from various disciplines in the South African Police, the National Defence Force (SANDF), Metro Police and the Department of Home Affairs played a role in the operation and following arrests.
The operation swept across Diepsloot Extension 1, starting on Saturday night 2 May and ending on Sunday morning 3 May, Diepsloot Police spokesperson Daniel Mavimbela in a press statement said.
“The intelligence-driven operation was informed by the local police analysis of certain attributes of offenders in the area,” Mavimbela in a press statement said.
During a follow-up telephonic conversation with the Record Mavimbela said it had not yet been ruled out that some of the suspects arrested during the long weekend were involved in other crimes on the West Rand. They were arrested for various crimes including robbery, possession of dagga, illegal immigration, the illegal sale of liquor and assault.
“The community’s wishes and perceptions were some of the factors that were taken into consideration before the choice of an operational location was made,” Mavimbela in a press statement said.
After the operation community leaders had expressed their desire to see similar operations to be conducted in the future, he said.
Suspects were set to appear in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court the following week. Mavimbela committed to communicate further details to the Record as they become available.
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