Members of the South African Police Service in Gauteng joined by Gauteng Traffic Police, Metro Police Departments, Emergency Medical Services, Gauteng Liquor Board, the Department of Community Safety and other government departments, this past weekend braved the rainy weather and closed down fifteen (15) illegal and/or non-compliant liquor outlets across the Province.
Most of these outlets were in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg and were shut down during the intensified, integrated O Kae Molao operations led by senior management of the SAPS and the various law enforcement agencies.
In addition, forty-four (44) motorists were arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol and twenty (20) for drinking in public. Meanwhile, the owner of a popular liquor outlet in Rosebank was fined for failing to display a liquor license and for allowing patrons to leave with liquor from the on-consumption outlet.
Furthermore, over one thousand and fifty (1050) suspects were arrested across the five districts in Gauteng during the weekend crime combatting operations led by the respective District Commissioners.
Police in Tshwane arrested three hundred and ninety-six (396) people for different offenses. These suspects were arrested for the commission of offenses, inter alia, murder, armed robbery, rape, housebreaking and theft, possession of the suspected stolen property, malicious damage to property, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, reckless and negligent driving, theft of the motor vehicle, illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, house robbery, possession of drugs, dealing in drugs, dealing in liquor without a license and public drinking.
In the West Rand, a total of one hundred and fifty-eight (158) arrests were secured during the weekend operations for crime including possession of unlicensed firearm, possession of ammunition, possession of a dangerous weapon, assault with intent to cause grievously bodily harm, sexual assault, rape and attempted murder, amongst other crimes.
Whereas in Ekurhuleni District, police arrested three hundred and eighty-three (383) suspects, while fifty-eight (58) were arrested in Johannesburg, and fifty-six (56) in Sedibeng for various serious and violent crimes that include robbery, car hijacking, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, rape and murder. The suspects will appear before various Magistrate Court within the province from today.