-from iafrica.com-

Tip offs to Primedia’s Crime Line have led police to major successes in the fight against crime and drugs.

In recent weeks police closed down a drug manufacturing plant in Sandton while in the Western Cape police arrested eight people and seized drugs worth thousands of rands following a series of raids. Police acted on tip-offs to the 32211 SMS number from members of the community. On Wednesday 7 November 2007, police closed down a drug manufacturing plant in Sandton after receiving an SMS tip-off through Crime Line. Three men, aged 23, 27 and 28 years, were arrested and drugs valued at R50 000 were seized. The drugs confiscated included 15 grams of ecstasy, 74 grams of CAT and 49 grams of cocaine. “Investigations are still ongoing,” said police Director Sally de Beer. Over the past month, 21 individuals have been arrested in Gauteng and the Western Cape as a result of tip-offs to Crime Line. This brings the total number of arrests since June 2007 to 274 and the total amount of goods confiscated to R17- million. Two cases of contravening the copyright act were registered in Gauteng. During these police raids, three men were arrested and R25 000 worth of fake DVDs and electronic equipment were seized. Also in Gauteng, one anonymous SMS reported that a vehicle had been abandoned at a block of flats. Upon investigation, police found the vehicle, worth R325 000 and established that it had, in fact, been reported stolen and that the registration number had been changed. “The South African Police Service thanks the members of the community who submitted the tips that led to these arrests. Each and every criminal that is taken off our streets is a victory for the honest and law abiding members of our community,” said De Beer.