The efforts to recover weapons used in the commission of serious and violent crimes prove to be successful as Gauteng police seized 448 unlicensed and illegal firearms and 3320 ammunition of different caliber from 01 March 2021 to 07 March 2021. These include ten unlicensed firearms that were recovered during a foiled robbery in Johannesburg, Kelvin, where 19 suspects were arrested on 03 March 2021.
In another incident on Sunday, 07 March 2021, members from Sandton Crime Prevention Unit recovered two unlicensed firearms, a hijacked vehicle and arrested two suspects during a routine patrol.
Meanwhile, on Saturday evening 06 March 2021, the Provincial Commissioner of Police in Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, and the District Commissioner of Tshwane Major General Hilda Mohajane led operation O Kae Molao in Loate where they were joined by the MEC for Community Safety Ms Faith Mazibuko, provincial management and senior officers from both the SAPS and other law enforcement agencies. During the operation, police closed over 10 liquor outlets in Loate and over 100 suspects were arrested by the detectives for various serious and violent crimes in the area.
At the roadblocks, six motor vehicles were recovered with case numbers from various stations in Tshwane District, more than twelve suspects arrested for drunk and driving, and twenty illegal immigrants taken in.
A total of 967 suspects were arrested in the other four Districts in Gauteng for various crimes, including contravening the Disaster Management Act.
Lieutenant General Elias Mawela commended the law enforcement agencies whose commitment is sustained towards ensuring that the residents of Gauteng are safe.