Police have confiscated more than 120 vehicles and arrested more than 103 people linked to cross-border crimes in uMkhanyakude in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
This was revealed by police minister Bheki Cele, who was addressing a feedback session in Manguzi on Monday.
“Sixty-three of those vehicles have been returned to their rightful owners. There are 61 vehicles which we have and are the subject to court litigation and we have also identified who they belong to.”
There were also 26 vehicles whose owners could not be traced, and 42 of the vehicles had been used to commit a crime.
“We don't know whether they were used when criminals were going to bomb, rape or rob houses,” said Cele.
Police confiscated 29 illegal firearms and 382 rounds of ammunition.
“I am convinced there are many more firearms in the hands of community members.”
He said of the 103 suspects arrested, 48 were on trial.
“All the cells in that police station are full. Some prisoners cannot even sleep properly. We are not done. I know among some of you there are informers. Please go and tell them we would soon catch them,” said Cele.
He also noted a worrying trend of unscrupulous people who “hijacked” their own cars to cash in on insurances claims.
“This person used his own vehicles to hijack their vehicle and sell it and get insurance payouts. This puts added pressure on us which leads to us concluding crime is high and yet it's people [who] are cooking criminality at their own houses.”
He cited an example of a man who was paid out R700,000 for a hijacked car and sold it for R25,000 across the border.
“The person was arrested and cannot raise R50,000 to pay for bail. There are people we would be arresting and you would be at pains in trying to figure out why they are being locked up, but they are using crime to fundraise and they are exploiting the problem of hijackings in the area,” said Cele.
A task team established in March had also arrested three notorious criminals, one of whom was recently sentenced to 55 years in jail.
Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said government had come under fire from aggrieved members of the public over their lack of action in the area.
“We commend the police minister for dispatching a special task team to this area. Had it not been for this intervention we would not be here. We need to give people hope that something is happening,” said Dube-Ncube.
She announced a contractor had been appointed to oversee the construction and repair of a buffer zone on the border with Mozambique.
“Though we have not reached [the] phase we envisaged. But we can clearly see the difference. The area had also been plagued by a spate of killings of community leaders. But we are encouraged that there has been a decline in that trend,” said Dube-Ncube.
She called on the community to work with the police to fight crime.
“The task team is not aware that in the passage to your home or underneath your bed or in your wardrobe how many criminals are hiding there. We know some community members hide criminals” said Dube-Ncube.
TimesLIVE
Sixty-three hijacked cars confiscated in cross-border crime blitz returned to owners
Image: Supplied
Police have confiscated more than 120 vehicles and arrested more than 103 people linked to cross-border crimes in uMkhanyakude in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
This was revealed by police minister Bheki Cele, who was addressing a feedback session in Manguzi on Monday.
“Sixty-three of those vehicles have been returned to their rightful owners. There are 61 vehicles which we have and are the subject to court litigation and we have also identified who they belong to.”
There were also 26 vehicles whose owners could not be traced, and 42 of the vehicles had been used to commit a crime.
“We don't know whether they were used when criminals were going to bomb, rape or rob houses,” said Cele.
Police confiscated 29 illegal firearms and 382 rounds of ammunition.
“I am convinced there are many more firearms in the hands of community members.”
He said of the 103 suspects arrested, 48 were on trial.
“All the cells in that police station are full. Some prisoners cannot even sleep properly. We are not done. I know among some of you there are informers. Please go and tell them we would soon catch them,” said Cele.
He also noted a worrying trend of unscrupulous people who “hijacked” their own cars to cash in on insurances claims.
“This person used his own vehicles to hijack their vehicle and sell it and get insurance payouts. This puts added pressure on us which leads to us concluding crime is high and yet it's people [who] are cooking criminality at their own houses.”
He cited an example of a man who was paid out R700,000 for a hijacked car and sold it for R25,000 across the border.
“The person was arrested and cannot raise R50,000 to pay for bail. There are people we would be arresting and you would be at pains in trying to figure out why they are being locked up, but they are using crime to fundraise and they are exploiting the problem of hijackings in the area,” said Cele.
A task team established in March had also arrested three notorious criminals, one of whom was recently sentenced to 55 years in jail.
Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said government had come under fire from aggrieved members of the public over their lack of action in the area.
“We commend the police minister for dispatching a special task team to this area. Had it not been for this intervention we would not be here. We need to give people hope that something is happening,” said Dube-Ncube.
She announced a contractor had been appointed to oversee the construction and repair of a buffer zone on the border with Mozambique.
“Though we have not reached [the] phase we envisaged. But we can clearly see the difference. The area had also been plagued by a spate of killings of community leaders. But we are encouraged that there has been a decline in that trend,” said Dube-Ncube.
She called on the community to work with the police to fight crime.
“The task team is not aware that in the passage to your home or underneath your bed or in your wardrobe how many criminals are hiding there. We know some community members hide criminals” said Dube-Ncube.
TimesLIVE
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