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Crime Reporter 

More than 62 739 people have been arrested under the ongoing operation “Chikorokoza ngachipere/ Isitsheketsha kasiphele and No to machete gangs” as police press hard on curbing violence and related violent crimes.

At the same time, police are also focused on economic crimes with so far this year 77 396 people arrested for cross border crimes, usually smuggling.

Most of those arrested escaped with admission of guilt fines, and hopefully that warning shot fired across their bows will deter them, but some were suspected of sufficiently serious crimes that they were wheeled into court for prosecution.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said yesterday that the latest batch of arrests on Sunday saw 130 people picked up, taking the total to 62 739.

Recently, gangs armed with machetes and knobkerries resurfaced countrywide, targeting mines and individuals keeping large amounts of cash, prompting police to relaunch the operation.

A few months ago, police restored order in mining areas after taking on the gangs, arresting large numbers of people and thwarting a wave of violence. That gangland violence claimed the lives of several people and left many injured. Police launched the “Operation Chikorokoza Ngachipere” following an outcry over machete-wielding robbers who were terrorising people in mining communities and beyond.

Criminal activities by the marauding gangs of machete attackers have seen an increase in reports of murder, rape, assault, housebreaking and stock theft.

Also, on Sunday, police arrested 427 people countrywide under operation “No to Cross Border Crimes”. 

So far Police have arrested 77 396 people throughout the country since the operation commenced in January 2021. In a related operation, police have arrested 11 334 motorists fitting vehicles with dangerous bar headlights countrywide while the arrests under operation, “No to touting”, now stands at 28 173 since its commencement in January.

In July, police attributed extended headlights mounted on vehicles for causing some fatal accidents on the roads.

Through Statutory Instrument 129 of 2015, Government banned the mounting of additional headlights on vehicles. 

The law states that those who want to make any modifications to their cars should first seek authority.

Some of the additional LED light bars fitted on some cars cannot be dipped, compromising the vision of other drivers and hence causing accidents.