An integrated province wide crime fighting operation between various state organs and local municipality has dealt a hard blow to the criminals and their plans to render the province lawless.
More than one thousand two hundred and thirteen (1213) suspects aged between 18 and 48 years were arrested during meticulously executed week-long operations by Eastern Cape SAPS within the province between 23-31 January 2017. These operations were conducted in collaboration with various law enforcement agents from various local municipalities and national agencies that include the provincial traffic services and Home Affairs officials.
Police intensified visibility in their respective policing precinct to prevent crime through road blocks foot patrols, stop and search and visit to various crime hotspots and business premisses. Police arrested these suspects for crime ranging from; housebreaking 53), business robbery, theft (38), drunken driving (77), murder (23), rape (18) vehicle theft and common robbery. One hundred and ninety two (192) wanted suspects were traced and arrested for varied charges.
Two hundred and fifty one (251) firearms and (222) rounds of ammunition were confiscated during these operations. Twenty (20) suspects were arrested and charged for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Several outlets dealing illegal and legal in alcohol were visited to ascertain their compliance to their licence conditions. At least one hundred and ninety (190) premises dealing in liquor were visited where seventeen (17) of these were charged with dealing in illegal liquor. At least 2014 litres of alcohol was confiscated. Eight of these premises were charged for contravening their licence conditions. One suspect was arrested for brewing homemade illicit alcohol.
Thirty six (36) kg of dagga, 6.5 grams of cocaine and 500 grams of Chrystal Meth (Tik) were also recovered and confiscated.
Twenty nine stolen vehicles were recovered while ninety four traffic fines to the value of R12 700 were issued by the traffic officers in various major and national roads, towns and villages within the province. Fifty eight cattle were recovered through well planned and carefully executed stock raids. The cattle are kept at various stock holdings and members of the public who have lost stock in the past week are encouraged to visit their stock theft offices to arrange appointment to go and identify their recovered stocks.
Are these suspects included on the overall total at the beginning of the statement? All these suspects will appear at various courts in their respective clusters soon.
Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Liziwe Ntshinga said Operation Back to Basics continued to root out crime and criminal activities throughout the province and we are pleased with our efforts. The importance of police members sustaining good relations with the members of the public has once again proved how valuable this can be in the fight against crime, as many arrests were effected through information shared by community members”, she added.
Alan Straton
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