Joburg raids: Cops arrested for colluding with counterfeiters

Several police officers have been arrested in the wake of a large-scale raid operation which took place in the Johannesburg CBD on Wednesday.

Intensified raids on the inner city, operating under the collaborative banner of Buya Mthetho and Okae Molao, focus on ridding the streets of counterfeit goods, weapons, stolen property and drugs.

The most recent raid, which saw large parts of the CDB placed under lockdown – with no traffic allowed to enter and no shops allowed to open.

Joburg cops strike back after violent attacks

#sapsGP #SAPS led a joint op #OkaeMolao with law enforcement agencies in #JHBCBD yesterday with Provincial Traffic Police and Saturation Unit, the Immigration Officers (@HomeAffairsSA), @sarstax Customs, the @JoburgMPD & clothing brand owners. MEhttps://t.co/3eMBnuwWHa pic.twitter.com/tj7j9X4Oho

— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) August 8, 2019

The centre of Johannesburg was effectively converted into a ghost town, with law enforcement agencies sweeping between stores and hijacked buildings.

This was in stark contrast to scenes from the previous week, which saw a similar raid descend into absolute chaos. Police officers were attacked by street vendors while attempting to confiscate counterfeit goods. Petrol bombs and bricks rained down on officers and their vehicles.

City of Johannesburg Mayor, Herman Mashaba, Gauteng Premier, David Makhura and Chief of the Metro Police Department (JMPD) all blamed foreigners for the explosion of violence.

Makhura vowed to avenge the attacked officers, while foreign nationals living in the CBD argued that they were being used as scapegoats for the city’s problems and, in the process, were having their human rights trampled upon.

Joburg raids net illegal firearms, counterfeit goods

Firearms recovered in a building on Rahima Moosa & Delvers Str in the CBD during the Search & Cordon Joint Operation. It's not yet confirmed who owns the firearms, but arrests have been made.#SaferJoburg #ZeroTolerance@eNCA @SABCNewsOnline@Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/iPVoLcpURQ

— David Tembe (@AsktheChiefJMPD) August 7, 2019

Wednesday’s retaliatory raids proved fruitful.  A stash of illegal firearms and counterfeit goods were confiscated. Hundreds of undocumented foreigners were taken off the streets to have their legal status in South Africa investigated. Makhura praised law enforcement’s efforts, saying:

“We are cleaning up our CBD. We will not rest until we take our City back. We are sending a very strong message to all those who think they can occupy our buildings illegally.”

Unfortunately, despite Makhura’s fervent praise, some police officers opted to collude with criminal elements in the inner city, thereby jeopardising law enforcement’s operations in the CBD.

Cops and criminals – not a world apart

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), at least five officers were arrested after the raid for allegedly attempting to sell counterfeit goods confiscated from the CBD. Two more officers were arrested for allegedly leaking details of the planned raid to counterfeiters in Johannesburg.

The arrests add a bitter element to an otherwise successful law enforcement operation and lend credence to claims of deeply rooted corruption within the SAPS ranks. This corruption has been blamed for fortifying criminal elements within the inner city.

Mayor Mashaba has vowed to crack down on all forms of corruption, including those involving police officers.