The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) arrested 801 suspects, nationally, during the second quarter of the 2023/2024 financial year – the period between July and September – head Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya said on Thursday.
Of the 801 suspects, 791 were natural persons, while 10 were entities (or foreigners).
Two hundred and forty-four (244) of the arrests – 234 natural persons and 10 entities – ended in convictions and sentences.
South Africans made up 72% of the 791 arrests of natural persons, with 570 arrested during the period, compared to 221 foreign nationals.
Top five crimes
According to Lebeya, the top five national priority crimes that contributed a high number of arrests in South Africa were fraud, with 173 arrests, precious metals and diamonds (172 arrests), narcotics (52 arrests), cash-in-transit robberies (48 arrests) and corruption (37 arrests).
“During these arrests, the DPCI also seized various exhibits including precious metals and diamonds, endangered species, vehicles, cash, firearms, ammunition, counterfeit goods, explosives, and electronic devices worth [over] R92.4 million,” said Lebeya.
Convictions
Out of the 244 convictions during this period, fraud contributed the highest number with 75 – made up of 62 South Africans, six foreign nationals, and seven companies.
The second criminal activity was precious metals and diamonds, with 51 accused persons. Of these, 30 persons and two companies were convicted for a pattern of racketeering activity and money laundering.
In terms of nationalities relating to convictions and sentences, 193 are South Africans, while 84 are foreign nationals.
The foreign nationals consisted of 48 Zimbabweans, seven Chinese, seven Mozambicans, four Nigerians, three Tanzanians, three Basotho, three Pakistanis, three Ethiopians, two Bangladeshis, two Zambians, one Canadian and one Ghanaian.
Serious crimes and convictions
Lebeya said during the period, 35 police officials were murdered in the country, with 37 arrests made.
This as the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Pocru) and Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), clash on ideologies of how crime should be tackled.
Earlier this month, Popcru criticized the “reckless” comments by the Ipid, which had expressed concern over the number of suspects dying at the hands of the police.
Raburabu said the Ipid was concerned about the high rate of crime in the country and the number of police officers dying at the hands of criminals. While he appreciated police, who did their job in protecting communities, he said criminals were meant to be arrested, not killed.
This as national police commissioner general Fannie Masemola called on officers to defend themselves against criminals.
Lebeya further announced that 172 illegal mining suspects were arrested during the quarter, while 40 were nabbed on kidnapping-related charges. Eleven victims were rescued by a multidisciplinary kidnapping task team.
Drugs, including clandestine laboratories valued at just more than R11 million, were seized, with 52 suspects arrested.
Of the 52 suspects, 30 are South Africans, while 22 are foreign nationals.
Four clandestine drugs laboratories were dismantled, with seven arrests made.
“It is, therefore, imperative to educate our communities to stop the demand for drugs while law enforces the stopping of the supply,” said Lebeya.
For this quarter, 48 arrests were made in relation to cash-in-transit robberies, with two convictions secured.
“Cash-in transit heists continue to be a thorn in the economy of the country and the DPCI in collaboration with private organizations continue to strengthen the fight against these crimes.”
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Khosi Twala‘s dedicated fan base, called Khosi Reigns, continues to shower her with more money, apart from her receiving a $100,000 (about R1.6m) cash prize when crowned the Big Brother Titans winner.
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