PARKTOWN – The Gauteng Provincial Commissioner of Police, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela was joined by the Premier of Gauteng David Makhura and the Gauteng Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko, on Saturday night, 6 August 2022 during Operation O Kae Molao in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg District.

The Eldorado Park community has recently handed over a memorandum of their demands to the Provincial Commissioner where the high levels of crime in the precinct which include proliferation of unlicensed firearms and drugs were raised as some of their concerns. This and the past Saturday’s operations aimed to assist the police station to reduce crime levels and bring stability in the area by bringing in multi-disciplinary forces such as the specialised units in the SAPS that include Crime Intelligence, Provincial Investigation Unit, National Intervention Unit, Tactical Response Team as well as Johannesburg Metro Police, Gauteng Traffic, Community Policing Forum, BACSA’s Eyes and Ears Project partners, Tracker and Fidelity to augment the capacity of the station.

The operation has resulted in the arrest of 99 suspects. Sixty-seven of which were undocumented persons, six for drug related offences while 13 were apprehended for driving drunk among others. Hundreds of litres of alcohol was seized and six liquor outlets were closed for operating without a license. The police also seized a replica firearm.

While the operation was underway in Eldorado Park, the other four districts were also conducting simultaneous operations in their respective precincts. Tshwane was concentrating in Brooklyn and Villieria, Sedibeng operations were conducted in Evaton, West Rand on the other hand was operating in Westonaria and Bekkersdal while Ekurhuleni was working in Ivory Park and Benoni. The four districts together managed to arrest 561 suspects for crimes that include possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition, possession of suspected stolen goods, possession of drugs, assaulting a police officer and driving drunk.

Some of the suspects were released after paying admission of guilt fines on the spot while others will appear before different courts in Gauteng on Monday, 8 August 2022.

Source: South African Police Service