Anti-crime operation nets seven suspects
Searches yield illegal ammunition, IDs, bank and social grant cards
OPERATION Fiela – a joint campaign by the police, metro police and the defence force – yielded significant results yesterday when seven people were arrested in Hanover Park for the illegal possession of ammunition, IDs, bank cards and social grant cards.
Western Cape police spokesman Colonel André Traut said the operation – conducted in the early hours of yesterday morning – was effective in clamping down on crime in the area.
“It absolutely worked, we need to implement this operation in areas that really need it,” he said.
After searching 101 houses, 25 vehicles and 305 people, police detained a woman for having more than 50 rounds of illegal and homemade ammunition and an ammunition press.
Another suspect was arrested for being in possession of 23 South Africa Social Security Agency (Sassa) cards, nine bank cards and six IDs.
Three men were taken into custody on drug related charges while a woman was arrested for the possession of “housebreaking implements”.
While the operation was celebrated by police, the mayco member for Safety and Security JP Smith called Operation Fiela a “hammer policing tool”.
He said that while raids that were conducted once every few months could lead to arrests, a long-term strategy needed to be considered to control crime in hot spot areas.
“As a policing tool, it is not delivering consistency. It is also not driven by prosecution. Operation Fiela is a blunt tool – a big state hammer – and lacks a daily presence that works toward convictions,” he said.
Hanover Park Community Policing Forum’s Ebrahim Abrahams said the community, the police and safety NGO’s must work together in a progressive manner to curb crime in the area.
“People are not working together, they are not prepared to discuss crime prevention plans. Gangs are streetwise and we need to smarten up by being transparent and open to working together,” he said.