In light of a spate of shootings on the Cape Flats this past week, Western Cape police have bolstered deployments at identified hotspots.
The additional deployments include members from the Anti-Gang Unit, Tactical Response Teams, Operation Lockdown II, Operation Restore and Public Order Police, who descended on identified locations on the Cape Flats from Sunday afternoon where they are executing search and seizures, stop and searches, roadblocks, raids and tracing operations.
Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie says the intervention follows a spike in murder and attempted murder cases in Mitchells Plain, Bishop Lavis, Philippi, Ravensmead and Elsies River.
“With other law enforcement agencies such as the City of Cape Town’s Metro police, LEAP officials and scores of community volunteers, the SAPS is on high alert and determined to restore calm in the identified hotspots,” Pojie explains.
“Recently, capacity at the provincial Anti-Gang Unit was enhanced by 47 members and an additional 100 members from Operation Lockdown II came from other provinces to assist in reducing serious violent crimes in Cape Town.”
He says on Monday at 8.45am, members of Lentegeur Detectives Serious and Violent Crimes Unit conducted patrols in Woodlands and stopped and searched a group of suspected gangsters and found an unlicensed firearm, ammunition, Mandrax and cash on one of the suspects.
The suspect was arrested and will appear in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.
Pojie adds: “A humble plea is made to affected communities to report crime occurring in their communities.”