Metro Police ‘Operation Choke’ chokes crime in Athlone

By Ofentse Mokae
17 November 2009

City of Cape Town’s Metro police ‘Operation Choke’ saw three people arrested and nearly 300 bullets found in Athlone.

Metro Police teams move into the area at the weekend and on Sunday evening, acting on a tip-off, they raided a house in Downing Street.

Also 90 R5 and 25 hollow point rounds were confiscated.

Metro police spokesperson Nowellen Peterson says a smoke grenade was also found which the South African Police regarded as significant because a smoke grenade was used last week during an armed robbery in Athlone.

On Friday six suspects were arrested in Athlone.

At a vehicle check point in Jan Smuts Drive a motorist was arrested for a fraudulent licence disc.

“Thereafter the focus shifted to crime prevention and two suspects were arrested for drug related offences and 44 packets of TIK were confiscated,” Peterson said.

Two people were also arrested for outstanding arrest warrants as they were wanted by the Athlone police on charges of shoplifting and possession of drugs, respectively.

Deputy metro police chief Yolanda Faro says another suspect was arrested in Eland Street in Kewtown, for the possession of dagga.

Twenty dagga stoppe and four TIK lollies were confiscated.

Fifty Mandrax tablets and quantities of TIK and dagga were also confiscated.

She says the operation has proved effective in Tafelsig and Athlone and this team is also operating in Atlantis.

“We appeal again for assistance from the residents in these communities who are the first to benefit when we put drug dealers and gang members behind bars,” Faro said.