Two new police units to tackle organised crime in Gauteng
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has established two specialised units in Gauteng to tackle organised crime.
This includes a political killings task team, which is tasked with investigating murders of politicians and government officials, and a specialised unit will focus on crimes related to kidnapping, extortion and offences targeting infrastructure projects.
“The Political Killings Task Team in Gauteng is adequately capacitated and comprises skilled members drawn from various disciplines within the SAPS,” the Police Ministry’s Kamogelo Mogotsi said on Friday.
“These members bring a wealth of expertise and vast investigative experience, ensuring that the unit is well equipped to deal with intricate and high-profile cases.”
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The second specialised unit will focus on crimes related to kidnapping, extortion and offences targeting infrastructure projects.
“These crimes have increasingly been linked to organised criminal networks that seek to undermine economic development and public safety,” Mogotsi added.
She said both units are operational and are designed to function as intelligence-driven, specialised, team-oriented, multidisciplinary and prosecution-led structures.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has already announced the deployment of the South African National Defence Force to Gauteng in an effort to quell illegal mining.
Troops are due to move into the province this month, with the mission scheduled to run until March 31 next year, according to the plan presented to parliament's policing committees.
