{"id":172049,"date":"2018-02-01T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-01T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/172049\/empd-blitz-on-hijacked-buildings-continues\/"},"modified":"2018-02-01T15:42:54","modified_gmt":"2018-02-01T13:42:54","slug":"empd-blitz-on-hijacked-buildings-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2018\/02\/01\/empd-blitz-on-hijacked-buildings-continues\/","title":{"rendered":"EMPD blitz on hijacked buildings continues"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The periodical blitz on pre-identified buildings in the Germiston CBD in an effort to bring to book those taking advantage of desperate people without accommodation by illegally taking over buildings and collecting rent is gaining momentum.<\/p>\n<p>The special operations are also aimed at ensuring that no criminal activities take place, undocumented people are rounded up and the living conditions of the occupants, who are normally cramped into tiny spaces, are assessed.<\/p><div class=\"stream-item stream-item-in-post stream-item-inline-post aligncenter\"><\/div>\n<p>Members of the EMPD Specialised Services Unit, EMPD precinct officers, the SAPS Crime Intelligence Unit and immigration officials from Home Affairs descended on Stirling Court on Knox Street, last Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Stirling Court comprises of four blocks with four floors each.<\/p><div class=\"stream-item stream-item-in-post stream-item-inline-post aligncenter\"><\/div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_172051\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-172051\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-172051\" src=\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2018\/02\/05GCNCRIMEBUILM_87589-520x390.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dwu32cgxelq1c.cloudfront.net\/local_newspapers\/sites\/31\/2018\/02\/05GCNCRIMEBUILM_87589-520x390.jpg 520w, https:\/\/dwu32cgxelq1c.cloudfront.net\/local_newspapers\/sites\/31\/2018\/02\/05GCNCRIMEBUILM_87589-270x203.jpg 270w, https:\/\/dwu32cgxelq1c.cloudfront.net\/local_newspapers\/sites\/31\/2018\/02\/05GCNCRIMEBUILM_87589-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dwu32cgxelq1c.cloudfront.net\/local_newspapers\/sites\/31\/2018\/02\/05GCNCRIMEBUILM_87589.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-172051\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The dagga recovered in one of the rooms which was sniffed out by the K9 Unit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>All the converted 90 rooms were thoroughly searched and padlocked rooms were forced open.<\/p>\n<p>Over 100 tenants were morpho-touched to check if they are on the police wanted list or have criminal records.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the second floor of one of the blocks, in one of the rooms found locked, police found ammunition shells for a shotgun and a 9mm firearm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the third floor of one of the blocks, five ziplock bags of dagga were uncovered in a built-in cupboard.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThree undocumented individuals from Malawi, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo aged 23, 24 and 38, were arrested,\u201d said Chief Supt Wilfred Kgasago, spokesperson for the EMPD.<\/p>\n<p>Kgasago added that tenants interviewed claimed to be from KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, the Free State, Nigeria, the DRC and Malawi.<\/p>\n<p>They further revealed that they were made to pay a once off fee of R350 by a group of people claiming to be the \u201ccommittee\u201d that takes care of homeless people.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">ALSO READ:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/171313\/empd-and-saps-target-hijacked-buildings-in-germiston\/\" target=\"_blank\">EMPD and SAPS target hijacked buildings in Germiston<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/171976\/uber-driver-victim-of-hijacking-and-attempted-murder\/\" target=\"_blank\">Uber driver victim of hijacking and attempted murder<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Although the dwellers live in squalid, cramped conditions and without electricity, there is clean running water in the building.<\/p>\n<p>The arrested undocumented people were detained at the Primrose Police Station and the recovered dagga booked in at the same police station.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe police are working diligently on the information gathered to trace the group of people who are responsible for taking over the buildings and syphoning money from poor and desperate people,\u201d Kgasago said.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Have a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor)<span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/wp-admin\/germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za\">germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za <\/a><\/strong>or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor)<span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><strong><a href=\"mailto:leighh@caxton.co.za\">leighh@caxton.co.za<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>or Kgotsofalang Mashilo (journalist)\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:kgotsofalangm@caxton.co.za\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>kgotsofalangm@caxton.co.za<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Remember to visit the Germiston City News on the following social media platforms:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/germistoncitynews\/\">Facebook<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GCNnews\">Twitter<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/germistoncitynews\/\">Instagram<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCblgxW6BRXTLGLQvpcumLqA\">YouTube<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Or add the GCN on<span class=\"apple-converted-space\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/span><strong>WhatsApp 079 406 1181<\/strong><span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>or\u00a0<strong>BBM (BBM Pin: 7F102137)<\/strong><span class=\"apple-converted-space\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>today, to get all the latest news.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Catch-up on more local news with our sister newspapers<span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/bedfordviewedenvalenews.co.za\/\">Bedfordview Edenvale News<\/a><\/strong>,<span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/\">Alberton Record<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and<span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/kemptonexpress.co.za\/\">Kempton Express<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"stream-item stream-item-below-post-content\">\n<div class='tenancy_slot tenancy_slot_1 jannah_ad' style='display: none;' data-query-id='77f8f8269b0872d04743d2e9dbab9fea'><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Clean-up of hijacked buildings in the Germiston CBD leads to arrest of three and recovery of dagga. \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1848,"featured_media":172050,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"hasGravity":false,"cxt_article_byline":"Germiston City 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