A SPECIAL operation early on Saturday morning led to the arrest of more than 330 suspects, where five unlicensed firearms were recovered as police and private security companies joined hands to fight Atteridgeville crime.
The arrests came after the police shut off and searched a local hostel.
Suspects were found breaking the National Disaster Management Act and in possession of unlicensed firearms and drugs. Illegal immigrants were also found.
Acting Gauteng commissioner Major General Tommy Mthombeni told Daily Sun for the past few weeks, several murder cases were reported, linked to taxi violence and people killed at the hostels.
He said they then put a plan in place to stabilise the area.
“More than six people were murdered in Atteridgeville in the past two weeks. An intelligence-driven operation was launched to trace and arrest the perpetrators.”
Mthombeni said crime intelligence started to move into the area on Wednesday, 4 August, when they identified a gang allegedly responsible for stealing cars.
“The team that included crime intelligence, the multi-dimensional organised crime unit, Tracker Connect and Gauteng traffic police, pounced on the suspects’ houses in Atteridgeville and Soshanguve, where they arrested two suspects found with a Nissan Almera reported stolen in Bronkhorstspruit and a Nissan NP200 reported stolen in Pretoria Central.”
Mthombeni said on Friday, 6 August at about 6pm, an intelligence-driven operation was held through the assistance of the Tshwane tracing team and taxi violence team after information was gathered on suspects involved in taxi killings around Atteridgeville and Lotus Gardens.
Four suspects aged 22 – 32 were bust in Pretoria West after they were found in possession of five unlicensed firearms, ammunition, and two vehicles reported stolen in Wierdabrug, Centurion and Lenasia, Joburg.
They will appear at Atteridgeville Magistrates Court today on Tuesday, 10 August and tomorrow on Wednesday, 11 August.
