PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS – Drugs that are worth more than R300 000 were taken off the streets near Plettenberg Bay thanks to inter-provincial operations at the start of the school holidays.
The operations were carried out between 27 and 31 March at key provincial border points in the Eastern, Western and Northern Cape as well as the Free State.
The focus was, among others, non-ferrous metal theft and essential infrastructure being transported across provinces to distribution centres such as Kimberley, Gqeberha and Mossel Bay.
The operations also focused on the movement and transportation of drugs across provincial borders, the trafficking of prohibited and protected fauna and flora, the transportation of illicit batteries, metals and other contraband by bus companies, and stolen vehicle engines and parts concealed in cargo trucks.
Police had various successes including the discovery of a large quantity of drugs at the Tsitsikamma Toll Plaza outside Plettenberg Bay - the border between the Eastern and Western Cape. Police spokesperson Sergeant Timothy Sam said tik valued at about R300 000 "was removed from the streets" at a roadblock at the toll gate on the N2.
This was one of 37 roadblocks and 117 vehicle checkpoints on national and secondary roads over the weekend. Sam said
9 393 vehicles were stopped and searched and 12 881 people were searched across the four provinces. Over and above this, 915 trucks and 37 buses that crossed the provincial borders were searched and 4 407 occupants' baggage was checked and scanned.
He said across the provinces, 625 suspects were arrested for various crimes, including robberies, assaults, property-related crimes, malicious damage to property, possession of suspected stolen property, theft, and drug-related crimes.
Sam further said that 32 undocumented immigrants were detained for contravening the Immigration Act and were processed by the Department of Home Affairs. Police also came down hard on people aiding and abetting undocumented individuals.
Across the four provinces, drugs worth about R995 980 were confiscated. This included Mandrax, dagga, khat and tik. He added that R5 956 in cash, believed to have been the proceeds of crime, was also seized. A truck valued at R350 000 was confiscated in Aliwal North for transporting illicit cigarettes valued at more than R10m and an inquiry docket was registered for further investigation.
Sam said the multidisciplinary approach also ensured that fines amounting to a substantial amount of R465 875 were issued. Compliance inspections at different establishments, harbours, fisheries, pharmacies, liquor outlets, second-hand goods shops, scrapyards and others also resulted in R624 195 of non-compliance fines being issued to the businesses.
The operational commander of the efforts, Brigadier Hennie van Rensburg, commended all law enforcement agencies and stakeholders who participated in the successful execution of the operations.
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