Deputy Minister of Police Maggie Sotyu and National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega today handed over newly branded vehicles to the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks) to intensify its fight against serious crimes.
Police said in a statement the branded vehicles would help the public identify the Hawks‚ “differentiating the members of the Hawks from criminals who masquerade as its members to defraud unsuspecting victims of huge amounts of money and other valuables“.
An additional 80 vehicles will be allocated to the Hawks during the current financial year. Currently they have 1‚478 vehicles nationally.
The SAPS said the vehicles would be used in operations against ATM bombings‚ drugs‚ police killings‚ taxi violence and cash in transit robberies‚ amongst other serious crimes.
The Hawks have also embarked on a recruitment drive: Positions of 14 senior managers and 50 anti-corruption personnel have been advertised. The SAPS statement said a further 200 posts will also be soon advertised.
Some recent successes by the Hawks include a takedown operation in which gold with a total value of R76 million was seized and 40 syndicate members were arrested.
Another operation targeted a high level criminal enterprise involving an international diamond trade. Fifty one arrests were made. During a poaching prevention operation involving a syndicate in KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast‚ two Rhino horns worth R2-million‚ were seized and 24 suspects arrested.
Hawks are hiring - and can boast new cars to chase down robbers
Deputy Minister of Police Maggie Sotyu and National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega today handed over newly branded vehicles to the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks) to intensify its fight against serious crimes.
Police said in a statement the branded vehicles would help the public identify the Hawks‚ “differentiating the members of the Hawks from criminals who masquerade as its members to defraud unsuspecting victims of huge amounts of money and other valuables“.
An additional 80 vehicles will be allocated to the Hawks during the current financial year. Currently they have 1‚478 vehicles nationally.
The SAPS said the vehicles would be used in operations against ATM bombings‚ drugs‚ police killings‚ taxi violence and cash in transit robberies‚ amongst other serious crimes.
The Hawks have also embarked on a recruitment drive: Positions of 14 senior managers and 50 anti-corruption personnel have been advertised. The SAPS statement said a further 200 posts will also be soon advertised.
Some recent successes by the Hawks include a takedown operation in which gold with a total value of R76 million was seized and 40 syndicate members were arrested.
Another operation targeted a high level criminal enterprise involving an international diamond trade. Fifty one arrests were made. During a poaching prevention operation involving a syndicate in KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast‚ two Rhino horns worth R2-million‚ were seized and 24 suspects arrested.
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