An intensive and hard-hitting crime intervention initiative incorporating land and air operations has made a deep dent into criminal activities, and especially illegal mining and immigration.
Operation Vala Umgodi took place from Saturday, 18 May, to Monday, during which time 254 people were searched and 55 arrests were made.
The police’s air wing did aerial observations over the Odendaal Rockdom, Target 1 Kraals, and St Helena mining areas, while police and South African National Defence Force (SANDF) units were deployed for patrols on the ground.
On Saturday, members of Operation Vala Umgodi, together with the Department of Home Affairs, conducted a joint operation at the Welkom bus depot, where they arrested 42 suspects, including 12 female illegal immigrants.
The roving teams comprised the SANDF, Public Order Policing (POP), Detective Services, Tactical Response Team (TRT) and the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC), which conducted vehicle checkpoints and intensified patrols of mining areas.
Nine vehicle checkpoints and 51 stop-and-searches were held, where 254 people and 111 vehicles were searched. They also conducted foot patrols and visited mine shafts at St.Helena, Bambanani and Eland, as well as spaza shops and hotspot ATMs.
Also scrutinised were Tshepong and Kopanong mines, three malls, and two power stations.
On Sunday, members of Operation Vala Umgodi conducted probes into illegal mining operations around Welkom, and seven men were arrested for contravention of the Immigration Act.
On Monday, from 12:00 to 20:00, a joint operation was held with immigration officers being deployed in Doorn, Welkom. Six suspected illegal immigrants were arrested.
The arrested suspects will all appear in the Welkom Magistrates’ Court soon.
Prior to this, on Friday and Saturday, the LCRC, SANDF, TRT, police air wing, Department of Home Affairs, Crime Intelligence, and POP were involved in operations during which four vehicle check points and 46 stop-and-search operations were conducted. During this, 245 people and 192 vehicles were searched.
On Friday the Department of Home Affairs and SANDF were involved in a joint operation that was held in Ventersburg.
On this day, 16 suspects were arrested for being in the country illegally.
On the same day in Welkom seven suspects were arrested for contravention of immigration laws.
