TMPD arrests drug dealer and curbs illegal connections in Pretoria North

Tshwane Metro Police Department's (TMPD) anti-crime operations targeting illegal utility connections and drunk driving have been hailed as successful, with arrests and seizures made in Pretoria North.

A suspected drug dealer was arrested during a drunk driving operation in Pretoria North, said TMPD spokesperson Colonel Isaac Mahamba. 

He said officers stopped a silver Volkswagen Polo and a search yielded suspected illegal narcotics found in the glove compartment, under the seat, and in the steering wheel's storage compartment. The driver, a Nigerian national, was arrested on suspicion of dealing in drugs.

TMPD confiscated two transparent bags of dagga, seven rolled-up joints, one CAT block, one nyaope block, and eight foreign illegal medicine pills. The estimated street value of the seized substances is R400,000.

Mahamba said: “The suspect was immediately arrested for dealing in and possessing suspected illegal narcotic substances and detained at a local police station.”

In a separate operation aimed at curbing infrastructure tampering, a 38-year-old man was arrested in Olievenhoutbosch for allegedly connecting water and electricity illegally to a car wash.

The suspect was arrested on the spot while he was busy digging a trench to connect electricity and water to an unauthorised car wash.

Mahamba said a clampdown on infrastructure tampering followed an order to dismantle an unauthorised structure with an infringement notice previously issued under the Executive Mayor's directive.

During by-laws enforcement operations conducted in Centurion, Sinoville, Akasia, and Pretoria West, TMPD arrested 35 individuals for various contraventions, including immigration law violations, driving under the influence of alcohol, and tampering with municipality infrastructure.

Mahamba urged the public to report any suspicious activities related to electricity connections by individuals posing as municipality workers to the TMPD cable theft unit.

As part of an operation aimed to ensure compliance with transport regulations, TMPD's taxi and public transport unit impounded 24 vehicles operating illegally in the CBD and Mayville, targeting scholar transport services. 

Mahamba said: “These vehicles were found to be unroadworthy and operating without the necessary permits. This crackdown serves as a stern reminder to all operators that compliance with road traffic regulations is essential."

The TMPD has vowed to ensure commuter safety, targeting illegal scholar transport operators. 

“Many school learners rely on these forms of transportation to commute across Tshwane to their schools,” Mahamba said.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za