MORE than 160 suspects were arrested as a result of operations to ensure a safer festive season.
Three-day interprovincial police operations in three provinces – Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape – started last Wednesday.
The focus of the operation took in illegal firearms, stolen vehicles, transportation of illegal or stolen goods, tracing of wanted suspects, undocumented persons and drugs.
Police spokeswoman Lieutenant-Colonel Dimakatso Mooi said police seized a large amount of cash when they stopped a car at a roadblock on the N1 highway in Colesberg.
“He was charged with money-laundering. His case was referred to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation,” she said.
The other suspects were arrested on different charges including dealing in and possession of drugs, dealing in liquor, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, fraud and undocumented persons.
More than 3 300 cars and 5 454 people were stopped and searched.
Fines amounting to R300 588 were issued for various offences.
Police also recovered an abandoned vehicle which had been reported stolen in Gauteng.
When they searched the car they found 29 cellphone tower batteries with an estimated street value of R64 000. Two firearms and 14 live rounds of ammunition were recovered from two suspects, one from Eastern and one from Northern Cape.
Mooi said one of the firearms was traced and it belonged to someone in Western Cape whose house had been burgled. The firearm was listed among the property stolen there.
The man from Eastern Cape informed on the man who sold him the gun and he was positively linked to the Western Cape housebreaking.
The cops also confiscated 100 Mandrax tablets, 16 bundles of Khat and 93kg of dagga.