From illegal mining to cash-in-transit heists and kidnappings, Police Minister Bheki Cele has commended the men and women in blue for their efforts to nip crime in the bud.
Speaking in Pretoria on Tuesday, Cele hailed the police’s recent successes, saying his department has made serious inroads to stabilise the institution.
“We have gone to lengths to capacitate the crime-intelligence division, so that it is effective, capable and up to the task to identify and infiltrate syndicates,” he said.
He said the police continue to fire warning shots at criminals and their enablers. “We are clear that South Africa is not, and will never be a haven for criminals or organised crimes.
“The long arm of the law will not be selective nor will it be kind. The national joints operational and intelligence structure continues to bolster our efforts.”
He sang the praises of the police officers who took part in crime-fighting operations, and said the Operation Shanela is bearing sweet results.
Cele singled out a number of successes and praised the police who worked with the Hoedspruit farm watchers recently to take down cash-in-transit suspects in Limpopo.
Four suspected robbers were killed and three were arrested during the operation.
In Gauteng, he said, a multidisciplinary team led by the anti-kidnapping task team rescued an 18-year-old Wits University student from a kidnapping syndicate on September 20.
The syndicate had been targeting the LGBTQI+ community through a popular dating app.
He said the police have broken the back of the syndicate that has so far been linked to more than 50 abductions where ransom was demanded from the victims’ families.
In North West in August, an intelligence-driven operation led to the arrest of seven suspects for kidnappings.
The victims had been lured to a house to “sign documents” related to a solar geyser project to the value of R17-million.
Following a shooting incident that left five men dead at a parking lot of a shopping centre in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal on September 19, police acted on a tip-off and traced two suspects to an upmarket estate in Ballito where a shootout ensued.
The pair was shot and killed during a takedown operation that involved specialised units of the SA Police Service, including the national intervention unit.
In Eastern Cape, police pounced on a gang of criminals that had robbed a store of R1-million worth of jewellery.
Cele said the syndicate is linked to many similar robberies across the country.
In Carolina, Mpumalanga the illicit mining task team shut down an illegally operated coal mine and seized mining equipment worth over R60-million and coal worth R12-million.
A mine manager was arrested and a manhunt is underway for the mine owner, said the minister of police.
He added that the Hawks under Operation Gillette nabbed nine suspected criminals for illegal mining.
During the operation, the crime busters also attached 58 properties, 51 vehicles including luxury cars and seven houses to the value of more than R17-million.
The suspects are due in court on Friday.
He vowed that the hotspots for illegal mining are being closely monitored, noting that the police are working closely with other government departments to combat such activities.
Elaborating on cash-in-transit heists takedowns, the minister said the police have recorded many successes since April.
“On April 6, eleven suspects were shot and killed during a shootout with police,” he said.
“The suspects were intercepted before they left their safe house en route to commit a cash-in-transit robbery.
“On May 19, an intelligence-driven operation was conducted to intercept a group of suspects who were planning a CIT [cash-in-transit] robbery in the Soweto/West Rand area.
“On August 12, a takedown operation was conducted in Eden Park, eastern Johannesburg, where CIT suspects were intercepted at their safe house prior to committing the crime.”
Five suspects were arrested during the operation and three firearms and five vehicles were confiscated.
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