Pretoria – Twenty suspects have been arrested at several villages at Maake area, in Limpopo, following the looting of spaza shops mostly belonging to foreigners.
The area has over the weekend been plagued with protest actions against the lack of service delivery. These actions spilled over into pure criminality with people looting shops and stealing items such as groceries, furniture, building material and electrical goods.
Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Limpopo, Major General Berning Ntlemeza, said that tracing operations involving members from the Maake Police Station, Public Order Policing Unit as well as the provincial tracing team and members from nearby police stations have been underway since early Thursday morning and continued throughout the weekend.
“The suspects were arrested after they were found to be in possession of the suspected stolen items and they are due to appear in the Maake Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
“The operations will still continue for some time and the police will not rest until those responsible for these lawless acts are arrested and put behind bars so that members of the community can feel safe again,” said Provincial Commissioner Ntlemeza.
Ntlemeza thanked the community members, who supplied the police with relevant information, which led to the arrests and recovery of the material.
“The co-operation that we received from members of the community is a clear indication that not everybody is involved in these abhorrent criminal acts and that they are striving for a peaceful and crime free society,” said Ntlemeza.
Commissioner Ntlemeza called on other members of the community to also assist the police with their investigations to make sure that those responsible are arrested so that peace can return to the affected communities.
Meanwhile, the police in Mankweng have arrested three men after they allegedly hijacked a truck full of cigarettes at gun point at Ga-Kgole section of Ga-Mamabolo, in Limpopo.
The police were responding to a complaint when they spotted a quantum, which matched the description of the gate away vehicle parked at a yard along the R71 road at Viking village.
The brave police entered the yard and found R105 000 worth of cigarettes in the possession of five suspects and the trio were arrested on the spot. The fourth suspect is still on the run and the police are hot on his heels.
The arrested suspects, aged between 33 and 40, will appear before the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court on Monday, facing charges of hijacking, armed robbery and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Members of the community with information about the whereabouts of the wanted suspect are urged to contact the Investigating Officer Colonel Maloma on 082 565 8524 or the Mankweng police on 015 286 6200. Community members are also warned not to try and arrest the suspect as he is believed to be armed. – SAnews.gov.za
