POLICE Minister Bheki Cele and SAPS management, led by acting national commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili, provided an update on recent successes achieved by the police.
This was in response to serious and violent crimes, especially aggravated armed robberies, kidnapping, extortion and cash-in-transit heists.
Cele held a briefing in Hatfield, Tshwane on Tuesday, 26 September 2023.
He said they have made serious inroads in stabilising the institution each day.
The intelligence community through working with the SAPS specialised units and intervention teams is responding to crime and dismantling syndicates, cartels and any organized criminal groupings using violence for their criminal gains.
"We have gone to lengths as a government to capacitate the SAPS crime intelligence division so that it's effective and capable. The work of SAPS has, through intelligence, led operations and weekly high density operations resulted in the arrest of thousand criminals," the minister said.
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He said in Gauteng the multidisciplinary team, led by anti-kidnapping task, arrested a syndicate targeting the LGBTQI+ community through a dating app.
In the Eastern Cape, police arrested a gang that had robbed a store of R1 million worth of jewellery. In Caroline, Mpumalanga, the illicit mining task team shutdown an illegally operated coal mine and seized mining equipment worth over R60 million as well coal worth R12 million. In the Northern Cape, 867 illegal miners were arrested during an intelligence driven operation in Namakwa region on 19 September.
"As SAPS, we know where we are going and we also know that if criminals are dealt a blow, there will always be resistance," said Cele.
Furthermore, SAPS is more coordinated and working closely with communities to dismantle syndicates or individuals who choose the life of crime.
Cele said through police's aggressive approach to crime, cops have fired a warning shot.
"South Africa will not be a haven for criminals and the long arm of the law will not be selective or kind. The National Joints Operational and Intelligence structure continues to bolster our efforts and ensuring the security cluster grows stronger," said Cele.
He said Crime Intelligence operators with the work of informants and units within the SAPS continue to clamp down on organised crimes linked to kidnapping, extortion, narcotics, cash in transit, vehicle and truck hijackings.
He also said police respond decisively to crimes linked to critical infrastructure, commercial crimes, stock theft, as well as hijackings and smuggling of motor vehicles.
