A total of 272 of South Africa’s most-wanted criminals have been arrested since President Thabo Mbeki’s State of the Nation address in May, Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula said on Thursday.
He said the police had a long list of most-wanted criminals but Mbeki urged the country’s security agencies to arrest at least 200 of them.
”Consequently, a total of 51 syndicate leaders have been identified and are being investigated,” Nqakula told reporters at Parliament.
He said of those arrested, 94 were wanted for murder, rape or robbery in 63 police-station areas where crime rates were very high; 59 others were wanted for major commercial crimes; and 44 were sought for heists and bank robberies.
Thirty-two others were wanted for five or more cases related to property crimes, and 31 were leaders of organised crime syndicates.
Eight were wanted for two or more cases of murder, rape and robbery while four were serial murderers and rapists, the minister said.
Ten organised crime projects have been started as a result of a planning session on an integrated approach to organised crime.
The planning session was held late in August, Nqakula said. — Sapa