MORE than 180 mini bus taxis were impounded around the Umtata region over the weekend as part of efforts to root out taxi-related violence. The area head of crime prevention, Director Wayne Hackart said the taxis were impounded mainly for defects and in some cases for loading passengers at taxi ranks that had been closed since Thursday. Following the upsurge of taxi violence in the Transkei region, police from East London, Queenstown, Butterworth and Port Elizabeth, including members of the elite Task Force from Pretoria and East London-based Scorpions were deployed to Umtata to assist their counterparts. Since the operation started last week, 12 suspects have been arrested –mostly executive members of the Uncedo Taxi Association. Co-ordinator of investigations Superintendent Henry Trystman said they were investigating about 30 murder, attempted murder, armed robbery and hijacking cases. – Sapa