Police arrested two suspects in Hillbrow in a follow-up operation after police had earlier in the day recovered protective gear used by the South African Police Service Public Order Police at a block of flats in Hillbrow.
The police found at the Cape Algulhas building, 24 SAPS helmets, 12 SAPS riot shields and drugs including dagga, abandoned in a storeroom.
“Police earlier in the day conducted an ‘O Kae Molao’ operation where a number of buildings in Hillbrow had been flagged as generating high volumes of contact crime,” said Brigadier Mathapelo Peters.
“Other buildings visited were Kiribili, Eastgate, Florence Nightingale, and O’Riley and police arrested 22 undocumented foreign nationals and two suspects for possession of and dealing in drugs. Two illegal liquor outlets were closed and liquor confiscated. Three more suspects were arrested for business robbery at Joubert.”
Gauteng Provincial Commissioner of police Lieutenant General Elias Mawela has called for an urgent investigation by a team of seasoned investigators at the provincial level to establish how protective gear used by the Public Order Police landed in the wrong hands.
“The extent to which criminals have now gone to undermine the authority of the State is very disturbing. No effort will be spared in finding out the source of supply pending confirmation of whether indeed the gear is state-issued or replicas. Whatever the case, we believe the intention to own State property is still criminal,” said Mawela
Related article:
https://northeasterntribune.co.za/238022/police-arrest-12-suspects-and-recovered-three-stolen-vehicles/
https://northeasterntribune.co.za/238476/robbery-suspect-injured-during-a-shoot-out-with-yeoville-police/
