Thirty-one people have been arrested during a raid on four hijacked properties in the inner city of Johannesburg‚ mayor Herman Mashaba said.
Most of the suspects were undocumented foreign nationals‚ while one was arrested for illegal possession of drugs.
The operation was led by the Group Forensic and Investigation Services Unit‚ the South African Police Service (SAPS)‚ Department of Home Affairs‚ Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD)‚ Emergency Management Services (EMS) and the City’s Environmental Health‚ Citizen Relationship and Urban Management and Social Development departments.
The suspects are expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday. Eleven hijacked properties have been returned to their rightful owners and three property hijackers have been arrested in the past month‚ Mashaba said.
“We are committed to ensuring that we stop the rot in our inner city and make it a prosperous and inclusive place for our people to live work and play‚” he said. “I would like to thank all the role players involved in yesterday’s successful operation‚ especially the SAPS for their continued support.”
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