Gauteng police nabbed over 900 suspects on the weekend

Over 900 suspects were arrested in Gauteng this weekend in operations involving the South African Police Service (SAPS), metro police departments, Gauteng Traffic Police, and officials from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the home affairs department, as well as private security and various other agencies, Gauteng SAPS said on Sunday.

Joint intelligence-driven weekend operations under the umbrella of “O Kae Molao” were conducted on the West Rand, Sedibeng, Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane, Captain Mavela Masondo said.

“The operations resulted in the recovery of 16 unlicensed firearms and the arrest of 900 suspects, recovery of stolen motor vehicles, counterfeit goods, and drugs,” Masondo said.

Captain Mavela Masondo

Police in Sophiatown arrested a 16-year-old teenager in connection with the murder of a 14-year-old boy. It was alleged that the teenagers were in the same apartment when the suspect, who was carrying a firearm, shot the younger teen. The preliminary investigation revealed that the firearm used was stolen in Moffatview last month, and police managed to trace and arrest a 19-year-old man alleged to be responsible for the theft of the firearm.

As police were on a mission to remove illegal firearms in circulation, two suspects were arrested in Diepsloot after they were found in possession of unlicensed firearms. These firearms were recovered through a tip-off from the community, and when police conducted a stop and search operation, Masondo said.

Altogether 490 suspects were arrested in other parts of Johannesburg and Sedibeng over the weekend for various serious and violent crimes, while counterfeit goods worth thousands of rand were confiscated.

Operations in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni saw more than 350 suspects arrested, with 50 undocumented persons taken into custody. Fines issued in respect of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act amounted to R120,000 and 30 suspects were arrested for drug-related cases, while 43 were arrested by detectives during a search for wanted suspects. Counterfeit goods, including illicit cigarettes, were also confiscated during the operations, Masondo said.

Operations on the West Rand, covering Kagiso, Magalies, and Westonaria, resulted to the arrest of more than 120 suspects for crimes ranging from murder to arson, and possession of unlicensed firearms, theft, malicious damage to property, driving while under the influence of alcohol, possession of stolen property, and malicious damage to property.

Police management in the Province had noted with appreciation the involvement of the community in the fight against crime, as most of the suspects were arrested through tip-offs and information received from members of the public. Operation O Kae Molao would continue in Gauteng to ensure that community members were, and felt safe all the time. The arrested suspects would appear in various magistrates’ courts in due course, Masondo said.

African News Agency (ANA); editing by Jacques Keet