Tip-offs about suspected drug dealing and possession to the anonymous crime tip-off line, Crime Line, have led to 19 arrests and the seizure of thousands of rands worth of drugs in August.
Crime Line has welcomed the recent success following its commitment during its fifth anniversary celebrations to renew efforts to bring an end to the “chemical warfare” on communities.
Head of Crime Line, Yusuf Abramjee, said that “80 percent of Crime Line arrests are drug related. This says something. We need to all unite further and fight this scourge that is eating away at our communities. Let’s stop this.”
To date drug-related tip-offs to Crime Line have led to the arrest of 663 suspects and to drugs worth almost R6-million being seized.
The major drug breakthroughs in August include the arrest of a suspected drug dealer in Hillbrow, Johannesburg who was caught by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in possession of cocaine and stolen cell phones collectively worth R50 000.
A Crime Line tip-off also led police to arrest a suspected drug dealer in Alberton, on the East Rand who was found in possession of a sealed bag of narcotic substances worth R14 000.
A suspect was also cornered at a restaurant in Hekpoort in the North West and found in possession of 2 ivory tusks and a box of dagga. The tusks’ value are estimated at R16 000.
Significant breakthroughs were also made in the Western Cape where authorities are stepping up efforts to clamp down on the scourge of drug dealing and abuse.
“Crime Line tip-offs have led to the arrest of 22 of the country’s most wanted criminals. We will be intensifying the hunt for SA’s most dangerous criminals in partnership with the police. Past campaigns have shown that a collective and concerted effort by the public, media and police make it impossible for these suspects to hide for long,” said Abramjee.
Crime Line tip-offs have to date led to the arrest of 49 suspects involved in the manufacturing and trade of counterfeit DVDs and CDs. Police have also seized over R11-million worth of fake DVDs and CDs in the past five years.
Two suspects were arrested in August thanks to a Crime Line tip-off about counterfeit goods. Police seized peripherals and thousands of fake DVDs with a market value of over R230 000.
“We have had a number of significant breakthroughs during August thanks to tip-offs that members of the public have passed on to Crime Line. We thank the police for taking the information and bringing these suspects to book.
“As much as we criticise the police when necessary, Crime Line shows that we are bringing the public and police together in a significant way in the fight against crime,” said Abramjee.
Overall Crime Line has led to over 3 000 arrests and over R40-million in seizures since its launch in June 2007.
Crime Line continues to encourage members of the public to pass on information via the 32211 SMS service, online at www.crimeline.co.za or by contacting Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
“When you send an SMS please ensure that you are as detailed as possible, providing information that the police can investigate. Make sure that addresses are provided in full with the relevant street number, name, suburb and province. It is imperative to do so as the anonymity of the service doesn’t allow for us to contact you and verify an address,” Abramjee urged.
Meanwhile, representatives from Crime Line and Crime Stop will soon be leaving for Las Vegas, Nevada, in the United States of America where it will represent Crime Stoppers South Africa during the annual Crime Stoppers International Conference. The tip-off service walked away with three media awards at last year’s conference.
“Crime Stoppers South Africa’s mandate is to grow tip-off services like Crime Line and Crime Stop in the Southern African region. The conference is a fantastic opportunity to engage with law enforcement experts from around the globe on the latest technology and high-impact programmes to ensure we provide the public with a safe tool to blow the whistle on crime,” said Abramjee.
Abramjee will be joined by General Vineshkumar Moonoo and Colonel Dr Attie Lamprecht from the SAPS Detective Services as directors serving on the CSI board.
For media enquiries, please contact Marisa Oosthuizen on 071 475 4414. Follow @CrimeLineZA for the latest breakthroughs and news.
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