17 September 2007
In just 14 weeks, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has arrested 217
individuals on a variety of charges as a direct result of information supplied
by the community via Primedia's Crime Line.
The information, given by means of anonymous tip offs has resulted in 99
criminal cases being registered and approximately R12,6 million worth of drugs,
pirated DVDs, stolen motor vehicles and other goods being seized.
On 20 August 2007, the 107th arrest in the first ten weeks of the project
was celebrated at Primedia Place, Sandton. This seems to have inspired both the
community and the police, resulting in an astounding 110 arrests being effected
in the following three weeks, 60 of those arrests in Gauteng, 43 in the Western
Cape and seven in the North West province.
Over the past two weeks, SAPS members dealt with, among others, the
following interesting cases as a result of crime line tip offs:
* After information was received via sms, police arrested seven men for the
theft of diesel in Makwassie, North West. The men allegedly stole the diesel
from their employer's depot and sold it. The accused have already appeared in
court and will make their next appearance on 20 September 2007. North West
police officials are still searching for two more suspects and further arrests
are likely.
* Ten suspects were arrested at a house in Philippi, Western Cape, after
Mandrax, dagga, tik and a firearm were found by police following up on crime
line information. The investigating officer has advised that two of the
arrested suspects have been charged and that the firearm, a nine-millimetre
pistol, was discovered to have been stolen in Bishop Lavis earlier this year.
The owner did not report the theft of the firearm and will also face charges
under the Firearms Control Act.
* Another significant breakthrough was made in the Western Cape when officers
raided a house in Bellville South while following up on a drug tip off. Tik,
ecstasy, Mandrax and other items were found in the house leading to the arrest
of 21 individuals. It has been established that the house, which has been
raided by the SAPS on previous occasions, was a haven for the criminal element
and used as a base for various criminal activities. The State is in the process
of seizing the house.
* In Randburg, Gauteng, a man was arrested after an sms indicated that he had
committed fraud. On searching his property, police found a bullet-resistant
vest, a police reflective jacket, SAPS cap, two-way radio, holster, handcuffs
and a substance thought to be cocaine. The accused, Mohamed Tootla, was
arrested for the possession of suspected stolen goods and drugs. He has already
appeared in court and was released on R5 000 bail. Investigations into the
possibility that he impersonated a police officer with the property in his
possession are continuing.
National Commissioner Jackie Selebi again thanked the community for coming
forward with information on crime and criminals in their neighbourhoods. "Crime
Line provides every person with the opportunity to become a partner in the
fight against crime. I urge all responsible, law-abiding citizens who know of
crime or criminals in their midst, to use this simple mechanism to blow the
whistle and clean up their communities", said Commissioner Selebi.
Primedia's Crime Line Manager, Yusuf Abramjee said: "The large number of
arrests which are being made is an indication that South Africans are speaking
out. They are not protecting criminals any longer. The response from the public
is fantastic and we appeal to them to continue passing on information to the
sms number 32211."
Abramjee added: "The commitment and dedication from the SAPS has been
excellent. Commissioner Selebi and his management team and the provincial
commissioners are ensuring that the police act on the information and that is
why this initiative is so successful."
Report crime anonymously by sending a text message to 32211 or by logging on
to http://www.crimeline.co.za.
Issued by: South African Police Service
17 September 2007
Source: South African Police Service (http://www.saps.gov.za)
