Durban — Last week’s shootings in Richards Bay and Ballito have made it into the police’s take down successes of police counter operations.
This was according to Police Minister Bheki Cele who was speaking in Pretoria on Tuesday, when he shared police take down successes of police counter operations.
“The work of the SAPS has, through intelligence-led operations and weekly high-density operations, resulted in the arrest of thousands of criminals, especially dangerous and hardened criminals,” Cele said.
“Assets worth millions of rands have been recovered and firearms have been removed off our streets.
“These covert operations have also resulted in multiple deaths of suspects who violently resisted arrest.”
Cele said that following a shooting incident where five men were killed in the parking lot of a shopping centre in Richards Bay on September 19, 2023, 24 hours later, police acted on information and traced two suspects to an upmarket estate in Ballito where a shoot-out ensued.
He said that the suspects were shot and killed during a take down operation involving specialised units of the SAPS, including the National Intervention Unit.
“One of the suspects was on the police wanted list and being investigated in a number of cases. One suspect is being sought by police,” Cele said.
“Two rifles, two shotguns, four 9mm pistols, 58 rifle live ammunition, 14 shotgun live ammunition and 39 9mm live ammunition rounds were confiscated during this operation.”
Cele added that safety and security have been restored in Manguzi in northern KZN where communities were living in fear because of cross-border motor vehicle theft syndicates operating in the area.
He said that this follows the deployment of a task team to clamp down on cross-border vehicle smuggling syndicates in the area.
“Since its deployment on February 1, to date, 140 suspects have been arrested for various crimes including theft, robbery and murder,” Cele said.
“Sixty-four vehicles have since been recovered and 57 firearms have also been seized.”
“In August, police registered a major breakthrough when three of the most wanted cross-border vehicle smuggling suspects were arrested for the murder of KZN anti-crime activist Juda Mthethwa,” Cele continued.
Mthethwa was gunned down outside his home in February this year.
WhatsApp your views on this story at 071 485 7995.
Daily News