North Rand police on Sunday arrested a 35-year-old man believed to be a hijacking and robbery kingpin, at his hideout in Tembisa.
Spokesperson Superintendent Eugene Opperman said the man was wanted in connection with 14 cases of armed robbery in Gauteng.
He was also believed to have hijacked cars in Mpumalanga and Gauteng, and robbed businesses in those provinces.
Opperman said the man was expected to appear in the Kempton Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Meanwhile, more than 455 people were arrested in crime prevention roadblocks, nightclub searches and swoops on criminals’ hideouts in Ekurhuleni over the weekend.
Opperman said police also seized cocaine, dagga, crack cocaine, stolen firearms and several stolen or hijacked vehicles in the operation.
Police also arrested several people for drinking in public, pointing firearms, serious assault and the possession of prohibited or illegal habit-forming substances. A number of traffic fines were also issued.
Opperman said the roadblocks — manned by more than 350 officers, were held on highway routes between the East Rand and Johannesburg, Pretoria, Polokwane, the Northern Province and Mpumalanga. Other main roads throughout the area also had roadblocks.
”Our intention is to have intensified high visibility operations throughout our area until the middle of January 2006,” he said.
”We will be on these highways throughout the festive season at different times, on different days and at different places. The idea is that criminals must not know where and when the intensified policing activities are taking place.” – Sapa