By Liz Dlodlo
South African authorities have continued their crackdown on criminal activities at the Beitbridge border which has become a den for illegal activities including border jumpers, robbers, drugs peddling and smugglers.
Illegal activities have been increasing at the border with many people failing to make ends meet during the Covid-19 lockdown resorting to smuggling of food items north of the Limpopo River.
The Covid-19 pandemic has worsened the plight of many Zimbabweans who rely on South Africa for virtually everything failing to have decent meals amid a worsening economic crisis at home
In a media statement, South Africa Police Services (SAPS) spokesperson for Limpopo, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said they were making headway in dealing with crime through implementation of joint patrols.
He said they had seized firearms and ammunition, motor vehicles, plasma television sets, airtime vouchers, cellphones, projectile, liquor, cow meat and rhino carcasses.
Brigadier Mojapelo added that during the same operations, they confiscated cigarettes smuggled from Zimbabwe worth R200 000.
He said they also recovered dagga weighing 5026 grams, nyaope drugs weighing 201 grams and 124 801 counterfeit goods.
“The police in Limpopo continue to put more people behind bars following the arrest of more than two thousand suspects during joint operations that were conducted around the Province from the past week up until this morning, Monday 24 August 2020,” he said.
“These operations were conducted through roadblocks, tracing of wanted suspects, Covid-19 compliance monitoring, visits at shopping malls as well stop and searches and were comprised of members of the SAPS, South Africa’s National Defence Forces (SANDF), Traffic Police and other law enforcement agencies.
“Other suspects were arrested for crimes ranging from rape, sexual assaults, fraud, stock theft, intimidation, violation of protection order, murder, attempted murder pointing of firearm, smuggling of illicit cigarettes and possession of suspected stolen properties, poaching.
“We also rounded some for possession of dagga and dealing in drugs, possession of endangered, carjackings, theft of out of motor vehicles, house robberies, public drinking, burglaries, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, illegal immigration, possession of dangerous weapons, road traffic acts to contravention of the regulations under Disaster Management Act”.
