Gauteng Police Crackdown Yields 941 Arrests, Drunk Driving Charges Top of the List

(The Post News)- South African Police Services (SAPS) had confirmed that police apprehended 47 illegal immigrants and 941 suspects. SAPS says 337 of those arrests specifically relate to crimes against women and children.

These arrests follow a high-density operation that the acting provincial commissioner, Major General Mbuso Khumalo, conducted in Roodepoort, Johannesburg. Amongst other things, police issued with 27 traffic fines for noncompliance with the traffic laws. They also had impounded a Toyota Quantum, which had an engine that was deliberately altered.

Earlier this week, Gauteng traffic officials had arrested 465 motorists in a traffic swoop on Tuesday. In the traffic swoop, 107 individuals were arrested for drunk driving. In an attempt to improve traffic management and enforcement in Gauteng, traffic wardens and the police conducted Operation Shanela from Friday to Saturday last week in Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, Joburg, the West Rand and Sedibeng.

In Ekurhuleni, police had arrested 68 drivers, and 20 of those individuals were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. The police and the traffic officials had further arrested 879 people and searched 475 vehicles in Springs, Zonkizizwe, Thembisa, Edenvale, Crystal Park, Tsakane, Devon and Germiston.

Meanwhile, police arrested 151 individuals and conducted searches of 803 people and 351 vehicles in several areas, including Sunnyside, Laudium, Akasia, Pretoria West, Soshanguve, Olievenhoutbosch, and Temba.

Police operations yielded significant results across various regions. In Johannesburg, 91 individuals were apprehended, with nine cases related to drunk driving. Searches were conducted on over 1,000 people and nearly 500 vehicles in multiple suburbs. On the West Rand, extensive searches of people and vehicles took place in several areas, resulting in 66 arrests. Meanwhile, in Sedibeng, nearly half of the 89 arrested suspects were charged with driving under the influence.

Gauteng traffic police spokesperson Sello Morwane says authorities are stepping up efforts to tackle crime and disorder in the province, and drivers are being warned to avoid drink-driving as it poses a significant safety risk and will be strictly enforced.