The Mitchell’s Plain SAPS Cluster arrested 319 suspects during the past week from Friday August 11 to Thursday August 17 for various crimes including murder, housebreaking and theft, car theft, possession of stolen property, robberies, drunken driving, possession of dangerous weapons and malicious damage to property.
The cluster is made up of Mitchell’s Plain, Strandfontein, Lentegeur, Philippi, Lansdowne, Athlone, Grassy Park and Steenberg police stations.
Police also clamped down on suspected drug houses and 75 houses were searched for drugs, resulting in 1089.6 grams dagga, 163.5 mandrax tables, 412.83 grams tik and 139 grams heroin confiscated during the various operations.
At least 18 shebeen houses were searched and 54 litres of liquor were confiscated and one suspect was arrested for illegally dealing in liquor.
Seventeen second-hand goods premises were visited to ensure compliance, while 46 vehicle check-points were held and 1 875 persons and vehicles were also stopped and searched.
Two suspects were apprehended in separate incidents facing charges of possession of illegal firearms and ammunition and three firearms and various rounds of ammunition were confiscated by police.
The SAPS cluster also made 569 visits to spaza shops for the week.
Mitchell’s Plain cluster commander, Major-General Gregory Goss, said the police will maintain a zero tolerance approach in preventing crime and the investigation of crime.
He applauded the members who took part in these operations with other security forces and affected the arrests over the past week.
Major-General Goss said committed police members as well as community members have his full support in devising structured measures to reduce crime.
Residents are urged to join the community structures in their neighbourhoods.
If you have information that might help a police investigation, call Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or your local police station.
All information will be treated as highly confidential.
