Police have confiscated a large amount of illegal firearms and stolen cars and arrested several people during anti-crime operations this weekend, Limpopo police said on Sunday.
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The province had experienced a high rate of crime incidents in which illegal firearms were involved, including armed robberies, house robberies, farm attacks, business robberies, and murders, Lt-Col Moatshe Ngoepe said.
“Theft and hijacking of motor vehicles is also a problem. These incidents are taking place in a number of [policing] clusters where individuals, businesses, and houses are being targeted.”
A joint intelligence-led clean up operation was carried out this weekend until Sunday morning with the sole objective of “eradicating these crime categories”, Ngoepe said.
“Members of the community are once more commended for the continuous support they are giving to the police by supplying quality and reliable information which led to these milestone achievements.”
A total of 30 suspects, aged between 21 and 47, were arrested and confiscated items included 12 unlicensed firearms, 75 rounds of ammunition for various firearms, two firearm magazines, three stolen cars, one hijacked car, one engine of a stolen VW sedan, and one car used by criminals to commit crime.
The total estimated value of the recovered cars, including the engine, was R1.1 million.
The firearms and cars were recovered in the policing areas of Mahwelereng near Mokopane, Musina, Maake near Tzaneen, Thohoyandou, Nebo near Groblesdal, Morebeng near Polokwane, Roedtan near Modimolle, Ritavi near Tzaneen, Motetema near Groblersdal, Burgersfort, and Lephalale, Ngoepe said.
Limpopo police commissioner Lt-Gen Nneke Ledwaba again assured the citizens of the province that the police would not rest until all illegal firearms were removed from the streets and encouraged the public to keep up the spirit of partnership policing at all times.
He also commended the team of officers from the various police units who participated in the giant clean up operation, which continued to make an impact in the fight against crime throughout the province.
The arrested suspects would appear in various magistrate’s courts soon. Police investigations were still continuing, Ngoepe said.
