GEORGE NEWS - Police in the Garden Route district officially welcomed 131 newly trained police constables to the area on Wednesday 21 December. The welcoming, led by Garden Route District Commissioner Maj-Gen Norman Modishana, took place at the Garden Route District Office in Plantation Road on Wednesday morning.
The new intake officially started their service in the Garden Route on Monday, and with the aim of creating heightened police visibility, these new members will bolster festive season crime fighting efforts in the region.
Drugs worth R300 000 seized
In the meantime, the strategic deployment of police units as part of Vala Konke safer festive season operations in towns around the Garden Route led to excellent results with the confiscation of drugs worth more than R300 000 and the arrest of 563 suspects for various offences since last Friday.
According to Southern Cape police spokesperson Sgt Chris Spies, operations included static roadblocks, vehicle check points, stop and search operations, high density patrols in crime ridden areas, closing down of drug and illegal liquor outlets and visits to licenced liquor premises.
George station commander Brigadier Nolan Michaels, welcomes the new officers.
Drug related arrests
On Tuesday, 20 December members of the Garden Route district flying squad, who were patrolling entry and exit routes to the region, noticed three suspicious people at a hiking spot near the entrance to George, en-route to Oudtshoorn.
"Police proceeded with a search when they found 950 Mandrax tablets and 428 grams of tik with an estimated street value of R197 000 in the possession of a 25-year-old woman. The suspect was arrested on a charge of possession of drugs,' said Spies.
On Monday, 19 December, Garden Route Crime Combatting Team (GCCT) conducted stop and search operations at the Knysna taxi rank in the central business district where they confiscated 400 grams of dagga.
Deputy District Commissioner Belinda Pather during the ceremony.
Police arrested a 32-year-old man for possession of drugs.
The previous day, members of the public order police unit and GCCT members, searched a passenger bus at the Tsitsikamma tollgate where they found 350 gram of tik with an estimated street value of R120 000 stashed in a travel bag in the luggage compartment. The origin of the find forms part of an ongoing police investigation. The suspect is yet to be arrested.
Furthermore 107 suspects were arrested for drug related crimes, 42 for driving under the influence of liquor, 42 for possession of dangerous weapons, five for possession of ammunition and one for unlawful possession of ammunition. Police also confiscated one unlicensed fire arm, 10 rounds of ammunition, 172 Mandrax tablets, small quantities of heroin and tik during the weekend operations.
Garden Route District Commissioner Maj-Gen Norman Modishana giving a word of advice and motivation.
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