Business operators and taxi men were among people caught on the wrong side of the law in Pretoria Central during Tshwane Ya Cleanna operation, a crime-fighting initiative aimed at rooting out illegal activities in the metro.
The crime blitz was led by regional policing members of the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) in an effort to clamp down on businesses transgressing municipal by-aws.
TMPD spokesperson senior superintendent Isaac Mahamba said several items were confiscated from business owners and individuals found to be in violation of municipal by-laws during the operation.
In addition, he said, the non-compliant business establishments were issued with notices giving them opportunities to rectify their unlawful acts.
Mahamaba hailed the operation as successful, saying it also resulted in a total of 22 taxis impounded for various offences related to roadworthiness.
“Numerous high-end liquor outlets were thoroughly inspected for adherence to by-laws and regulations,” he said.
In a separate operation the TMPD drug unit members arrested a 45-year-old Nigerian woman in Pretoria CBD on corner Lillian Ngoyi and Struben streets for contravening the Liquor Act.
The arrest was made after the drug unit members received a tip-off about a shop suspected to be trading in illegal alcohol.
Mahamba said: “Upon arrival members searched the place and found illegal alcohol with an estimated street value worth R89 400 which was smuggled from other countries into South Africa.”
He said the stock was confiscated and the suspect was detained at the local police station. She is expected to appear in court soon.
He said the TMPD also conducted a drunken driving operation on R101 and arrested seven motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Meanwhile, MMC for Community Safety Grandi Theunissen said TMPD executed a comprehensive by-law enforcement and clean-up operation at Cemetery View informal settlement in the east of Pretoria.
“This operation is part of a series of ongoing efforts to uphold the City's by-laws and maintain orderly living conditions within all communities, including informal settlements. Similar operations were previously conducted at Plastic View informal settlement with positive outcomes,” he said.
He said the Cemetery View operation involved various municipal departments such as waste management, health services and local economic development that addressed illegal dumping, unregulated structures, informal trading and other by-law violations.
Pretoria News