Curfew breakers top list of Gauteng arrests on New Year's Eve

More than 630 suspects were arrested in Gauteng on New `Year's Eve, with over 450 of these being for breaking the Covid curfew, police said on Friday.

Five arrests were made for the sale of alcohol in contravention of the lockdown regulations.

In Soweto, police confiscated liquor in at least 30 incidents where people who were sitting and drinking in the street, fled and abandoned their drinks, chairs, and other property when police approached.

More than 10 suspects were arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol, while other arrests were for possession of drugs or of suspected stolen property, including a stolen motor vehicle and a hijacked trailer. One suspect at a roadblock in Fourways, north of Johannesburg, was arrested for possession of an unlicensed firearm.

Nine businesses were shut down in Tshwane after they were found to be operating after the 9pm curfew, while three suspects were charged with illegally selling fireworks.

Among those arrested on the West Rand were two suspects who were found in possession of suspected stolen livestock, and their vehicle was impounded for having been used during the commission of the crime.

Four illegal firearms, four suspected stolen vehicles, a hijacked trailer were recovered during the New Year’s Eve operations while in Ekurhuleni, police seized a Ford Focus that was found to have been reported hijacked in Pretoria West. Police had noticed the suspicious vehicle fitted with police blue lights and a siren and gave chase. The suspects allegedly abandoned the vehicle and fled.

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