Karen Venter
Limpopo Police Commissioner, Lt Gen Simon Mpembe is determined that the Police in Limpopo will continue the year in the way they have begun – by making over 700 arrests in one day in Polokwane alone followed by at least another 100 in the city within the following two days.
This follows after various highly successful Police operations were conducted in the Polokwane area over the past week. Over 700 suspected illegal immigrants were taken into custody last Tuesday.
Polokwane Police Spokesperson, Lt Gen Moatshe Ngoepe said the suspects were sent to various Police station cells while being profiled. “We will check whether they are wanted in connection with any crimes. Those who are will be charged and will have to answer to the charges made against them. Those who are not wanted will be deported to their countries,” Ngoepe said. During the operation a dagga plantation was also found and destroyed, he added.
He said over the weekend another 100 suspects were arrested, 52 of whom were arrested for drunken driving, one for a murder case in Greenside and the rest for crimes ranging from illegal gambling to common robbery. Some of those arrested were already wanted in connection with other crimes, Ngoepe said.
Mpembe said the Police in Limpopo will make it very difficult for criminals to operate freely. “We will hunt them down across the province. There is an indication that some authorities are also involved in the commission of crime. The Police will leave no stone unturned no matter who the person is who is committing a crime. Zero tolerance is the watchword,” he said in a telephonic interview yesterday (Wednesday).
He said the Police will be focusing this year on crimes such as burglaries, house and business robberies, robbery with aggravating circumstances, car hijacking and theft of and out of motor vehicles. “Housebreaking and house robberies are especially an enormous challenge in the province but we are determined to put a stop to these crimes,” he said.
Regarding crimes against women and children, Mpembe said the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) is being reshuffled and additional training will be given to officials attached to the unit. “We are not happy with the current conviction rate,” he added.
Mpembe thanked the community for their cooperation and requested anyone with any knowledge of criminal activity to contact their nearest Police station.