Bloemfontein - Operation Fiela action in the Free State saw 450 people arrested, provincial police said on Tuesday.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Billy Jones said the five-day long operation, which started on December 10 and ended on Monday morning, saw police arrest 450 people.
He said the arrests were for “crimes ranging from murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, house robbery, business robbery, carjacking, rape, assault GBH, theft, drug and liquor-related crimes, driving under the influence of alcohol, illegal possession of firearm and persons being undocumented in the country”.
He said 140 people were arrested for liquor-related crimes which included driving under the influence of alcohol, being drunk in public and the illegal manufacturing of liquor, while 62 people were arrested for drug-related crimes and 41 people arrested for robbery and property-related crimes.
“A total of 523 fines were issued during the operation for offences in terms of the Traffic Act, Liquor Act and Municipal bylaws,” said Jones.
During the operation, Jones said police found and confiscated 56kg of dagga, 1kg of crystal meth and 95 mandrax tablets and seized 200kg of gold dust, 110 items of counterfeit goods, 36 electronic and audiovisual items, a stolen vehicle and an assortment of firearms, ammunition and dangerous weapons. He said the dangerous weapons included “knives, axes, knobkerries and pangas”.
African News Agency