COPS are turning up the heat on criminals in Atteridgeville.
This is the message from Atteridgeville station commander, Brigadier Moeti Rapitsi, who led a massive Operation Shanela on Saturday night, 21 February.
The top cop warned that having illegal guns and extorting people for their hard-earned money are serious crimes. He promised residents that the police will hunt down these thugs and bring them to justice.
"Mshongoville in Atteridgeville is a hot spot for murder. We believe extortionists are taking advantage of the area because it is hard for patrols to get in," he said.
The Brigadier also flagged the R511, which connects Midrand and Hartbeespoort, as a hijacking danger zone. To fight this, SAPS and Tshwane Metro Police are now patrolling the route together.
He said these actions follow a community imbizo held by Gauteng Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, in January.
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"We are doing operations almost daily in Atteridgeville to deal with crime decisively. I am confident we can make the community feel safe," said Rapitsi.
Successes are already rolling in. On Thursday, 19 February, cops recovered a hijacked car and bust two people. The next day, another person was caught with a hijacked Mahindra.
Earlier in the month, Sunday 15 February a suspect was bust with an unlicensed gun and ammo. On Wednesday,18 February, two more people were arrested with illegal firearms in different spots.
The police are also closing in on cash-in-transit (CIT) robbers. After a heist on 19 February, cops recovered a Toyota Corolla Cross used by the gang. The car had been hijacked in Moeka Vuma, North West.
"Investigations are continuing, and police have positive leads," Rapitsi said.
During Saturday's operation, two people were bust for heroin and crystal meth. Four illegal immigrants were locked up, four people were bust for drinking in public, and four illegal shebeens were shut down.
The Brigadier said they are focusing on "crime generators" like illegal guns, unlicensed liquor outlets, and stolen goods to clean up the streets.
