Johannesburg metro police on Monday sealed off all the main entrances and exits into Soweto as part of Operation Enver.
”There’s no way anyone could get through without being searched,” said Inspector Edna Mamonyane.
”Our message to criminals is that they better beware, we’re onto them.
”We’re looking for stolen vehicles, stolen goods, drugs, unlicensed firearms, everything crime related.”
By early evening, several arrests had been made, mainly for possession of fraudulent documents, Mamonyane said.
She denied that taxi drivers were being targeted after South African Broadcasting Corporation radio news reported that commuters at the Bree Street taxi rank, in
the Johannesburg city centre, had been left stranded following the arrest of scores of taxi drivers.
The Top Six Taxi Association accused the metro police of trying to force taxi drivers out of business.
”If the person has an outstanding fine or warrant of arrest against him, we arrest him, regardless of whether he is a taxi driver or anybody else,” said Mamonyane.
She said that the Operation Enver stop-and-search crime prevention initiative was being conducted in memory of metro policeman Enver Enoch who was killed in a shoot-out with suspected robbers last week.
”We had planned on setting up roadblocks during this season, but felt that since the shooting of our officer last week, we should intensify our efforts to make sure something like this never happens again,” she said.
Traffic was backed up for several kilometres on the Soweto highway, the M1 South and the M12 West as a result of the blockade.
Last week, the metro police targeted the Johannesburg CBD and the northern suburbs.
Several motorists were arrested for a range of crimes, including possession of unlawful firearms, stolen cars, drugs and fraudulent documents including driver’s licenses and identity books.
Mamonyane said Operation Enver had moved to the south this week, operating in and around Soweto. – Sapa