The police in the Western Cape stamped the authority of the state as they continue to carry out their constitutional mandate of ensuring safety and security for all citizens of the province and squeezing the space for criminals. Over the weekend, police together with other law enforcement agencies embarked on different crime prevention operations throughout the province, including the multi-disciplinary Operation Restore which seeks to deal with any form of criminality
On 10 March 2023 at about 20:00, during integrated high density operation in Mfuleni, two suspects were searched during a vehicle checkpoint when 30 mandrax tablets were found in the vehicle. The two suspects aged 36 and 38 were arrested for possession of drugs. During the interviewing of the suspects, more information emerged which led members to a house in Delft at a premises in Kershout Street, Suburbun where members proceeded with a search and found more drugs, 50 Mandrax tablets , 26 sachets of Tik and 14 tik straws as well as an Astra 9mm Pistol, and 61 9mm rounds of ammunition. The two suspects were charged with Illegal possessions of drugs, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
On 11 March 2023, a joint operation between members of Crime Intelligence and Maitland Flying Squad led to the arrest of two suspects aged 30 and 35 for business robbery after they were traced to a location in Makhaza where they were found with 60 cellular telephones and an undisclosed amount of cash taken during the business robbery at a retail cellular telephone store at a shopping mall in Makhaza, Khayelitsha. The vehicle used was also confiscated.
In Steenberg policing area members arrested a 27-year-old man on charges of possession of tik, alternatively dealing in tik. According to reports whilst executing crime prevention duties in Sullivan Street, Steenberg members spotted a suspicious white Toyota Yaris driving. The members indicated to the driver to stop the vehicle but the driver sped away. A high speed chase ensued. The members managed to stop the vehicle, one male got out, vehicle then sped off again. The members saw the male throwing a spar plastic packet over one of the fences containing two hundred and eighty (280) small transparent packets containing crystal meth.
Meanwhile Operation Vutha Hawe, an initiative by our detectives to trace wanted suspects resulted in the arrest of 708 individuals who were sought for serious offences such as murder, attempted murder, robbery , assault, burglary and domestic violence. Operation Vutha Hawe is an ongoing initiative where inroads are being made to apprehend and charge wanted suspects.
All these suspects are expected to make their respective court appearances in several Cape Town areas on Monday, 13 March 2023, on the mentioned charges.