Festive Season Inspection Roadshow focuses on border security

The enhancement of border security remains a vital point in the Safer Festive Season operational plan that has been actioned in all provinces to safeguard all inhabitants of the country during the holiday period. The Safer Festive Season Inspection Roadshow has wrapped up in the KwaZulu-Natal province with oversight visit to a port of entry that was once in the grip of criminal activity.

The Police Minister, General Bheki Cele and Premier of KwaZulu-Natal province Ms Nomusa Dube-Ncube together with the SAPS management conducted an oversight inspection of SAPS operations at the Kosi Bay border post in the north of KZN. The oversight visit was preceded by a thorough briefing on the collaborative work between the SAPS border police, Border Management Authority (BMA) and custom officials under the South African Revenue Services (SARS) to maintain and enforce the law at the country’s 72 ports of entry.

Since February 2023, a SAPS task team to clamp down on cross border crime in the North of KZN was deployed, following incidents of cross border crimes including the interception of illegal persons and goods and clamping down on border corruption.

The smuggling of stolen and hijacked vehicles that were being smuggled into Mozambique from South Africa has also been a focal point in the work of the SAPS Task Team.

Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele has commended the work of the police, in cracking down criminal syndicates.

“We are really satisfied about progress that continues to be made to fight crime in our borders and the collaboration between law enforcement and the different arms of government at all levels working together to purify our borders of any undesired goods or activities. These operations are proving that together the enemy of crime; wherever it is, can be defeated” concluded Cele.

Police operations in and around the Kosi border gate have so far resulted in the arrest of over 140 suspects, linked to cross-border vehicle theft and more than 64 vehicles have been recovered, including firearms, rifles as well as ammunition used in the commission of some of these crimes.