City enforcement officers issue more than 56 000 fines
25 January 2021
The City of Cape Town’s Metro Police Department and Traffic Service officers issued 56 503 fines during crime prevention patrols over the past week. In addition, Metro Police officers confiscated an R5-automatic rifle and arrested several suspects for the possession of drugs and stolen items. Read more below:
On Wednesday, 20 January 2021, the City’s Traffic Service conducted illegal street racing and curfew patrols in the Bellville area and on the N1. Officers issued 211 fines for offences, which also included Alert Level 3 transgressions, including 48 fines for disobeying curfew regulations and nine for not wearing masks.
Law Enforcement
Officers from the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan were busy with stop and searches patrols in Delft South on Saturday, 23 January 2021, when they spotted a person exiting a well-known drug outlet at 25 Kamasie Street.
Officers searched the suspect and found half a mandrax tablet wrapped in silver foil in their possession. Another suspect who wanted to exit the house saw the officers and ran back into the house. Officers entered the house and found three suspects busy weighing drugs on a digital scale. They arrested the suspects and found a large amount of tik (88g), R12 203,50 in cash, a digital scale, tik lollies, unused tik packets and one round of ammunition. Officers also found book keeping notes of transactions. Officers confiscated all the items and the suspects were taken to the Delft South African Police Service (SAPS) station where a case of dealing and possession of drugs was opened.
Metro Police
On Friday, 22 January 2021, Metro Police officers attached to the K-9 Unit, conducted crime prevention patrols in the Bothasig area. Officers noticed a vehicle without a licence disc and requested the driver to stop. While searching the vehicle, Savage, a member of the K-9 Unit who specialises in tracking narcotics indicated the presence of drugs in the dashboard on the passenger side where officers discovered 44 packets of Tik hidden in a sock. Officers also discovered R2 270 hidden under the back seat. The 43-year-old suspect was arrested for the illegal possession of drugs and was detained at Bothasig SAPS.
‘We are extremely proud of our K-9 Unit who has had several successes in working closely with fellow officers in our fight against crime. In some searches drugs would go undetected if our K-9 Unit were not present. The arrest of the suspect and the confiscation of a large amount of drugs shows that our integrated approach in crime prevention and enforcement works well and we will continue to arrest those who trade in drugs and destroy innocent lives,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
On Saturday, 23 January 2021, while busy with crime prevention patrols in Khayelitsha officers pulled over a driver for talking on his cellphone on the corner of Govan Mbeki and Oscar Mpheta streets. Officers issued the notice and got permission to search the vehicle. The driver gave chase when officers discovered a bag on the back seat. The bag contained an automatic R5-rifle and 67 rounds of ammunition.
Officers seized the vehicle on suspicion that it could have been used in committing an offence.
The firearm as well as the ammunition was booked in at Harare SAPS for further investigation which will include ballistic and fingerprint tests. The vehicle was also handed over to the SAPS.
‘The illegal possession of any fire arm is a serious offence, even more so an automatic rifle with so much ammunition. The rifle could have been used in a criminal activity or could have been earmarked to be used in a violent crime. Our officers are doing their part under difficult circumstances. These arrests are the first step for the SAPS to do a proper investigation. This includes ballistic testing, which is the next step and then it’s up to the criminal justice system to get criminals convicted, sentenced and off the street, ’ said Alderman Smith.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
