Minister Highlights Progress in Cracking Down on Syndicates

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Since the launch of Operation Washa Tsotsi on 1 July 2009, a total of 752 criminals have been arrested in coordinated intelligence-led take-down operations and R25,5 million worth of evidence has been seized. These arrests were over and above arrests made during normal day-to-day policing and detective work.

The objective of this operation, undertaken on instruction of the Minister of Police - Mr Nathi Mthethwa – has to date been to successfully complete a number of registered crime intelligence driven projects throughout the country.

The crimes for which the arrests have been effected include inter alia murder (24 arrests), attempted murder (7 arrests), rape (15 arrests), house robbery (24 arrests), armed robbery (18 arrests), business robbery (15 arrests) and vehicle hijacking (17 arrests). Crime Intelligence worked jointly with other units in the SAPS – such as Visible Policing and Detectives to effect the arrests and continue with investigations.

In Gauteng, corruption has been a focus area with 13 Home Affairs officials having been taken into custody during July 2009 on corruption charges. This project has been executed in four phases, culminating in the arrest of 5 Home Affairs officials this morning in the Vaal Triangle during Phase 4 – more arrests are expected during the course of the day. The other arrests were carried out in Krugersdorp (4 arrests), Johannesburg (3 arrests) and Pretoria (1 arrest).

KwaZulu-Natal has been targeted specifically during the first stage of Operation Washa Tstotsi and 538 individuals were arrested in that Province and R21,2 million worth of exhibits seized. The crimes for which arrests were carried out range from stock theft to murder, rape and attempted murder.

From 1 July 2009 detectives from the Organised Crime environment have also continued to focus on serious and violent crimes and syndicates and arrested 184 suspects on serious charges.

Although Operation Washa Tstotsi will continue with crime intelligence driven operations, the focus will now also turn to other aspects of crime combating.

Today all Provincial Commissioners were provided with a comprehensive list of wanted individuals for whom warrants of arrest have been issued or who have been linked to crime scenes through fingerprints or DNA. The crimes for which these persons are wanted are murder, rape, all categories of robbery and burglary and theft of motor vehicle.

Tracing teams in the Provinces will be tasked with hunting down these suspects throughout the country to ensure that alleged criminals already linked to serious crimes are brought to justice.

Clean-up operations are also going to be conducted in areas with the highest incidents of contact crimes and chop-shops as well as illegal drug laboratories will receive high priority attention. Increasing borderline and cross-border operations as well as projects designed to eradicate corruption and fraud are included in the operational plan.

Members of the community can expect high police visibility over the coming months, with mobile roadblocks – with the support of Oryx helicopters from the SANDF – being conducted together with stop-and-search and other crime prevention activities in all provinces, especially in Gauteng.

Outgoing CEO of BACSA, Siphiwe Nzimande, responded to the report highlighting that the sophisticated nature of organised crime requires a comprehensive and transversal approach. "Current operations and the results reported thus far have been encouraging," said Nzimande.