South Africa: Law enforcement authorities of KwaZulu-Natal are witnessing a surge in the robbery and stabbing incidents along the R102 between Cornubia/Phoenix & Verulam. The Reaction Unit as well as the Verulam SAPS have received reports of several robbery, hijacking and similar incidents in the area.
In light of the situation, Reaction Unit has announced the steps that they want to take, in order to curb the situation. Reaction Officers and Verulam SAPS Crime Prevention Unit have decided to conduct random high visibility patrols.
In one of the first random patrols, Police Officers from SAPS Verulam Crime Prevention Unit have arrested 7 suspects. They were apprehended in the vicinity of the R102 between Verulam & Cornubia/Phoenix.
According to the reports of the Verulam SAPS, dangerous weapons & drugs were found on the person of the arrested individuals. Accordingly, the authorities will continue Joint Operations & High Visibility Patrols in high-risk areas.
The initiatives will help the authorities in maintaining peace and ensure safety of the users in the area. The official reports suggest that the perpetrators are likely to attack in the dark and target stranded motorists.
The law enforcement agencies note that the suspects repeatedly stab the victims before fleeing the area. The Reaction Unit believes that the suspect who is responsible for the incidents may be a resident of an area that has visual on the road.
It is also possible that the suspect prowls the road and attacks victims on finding them alone and without assistance. The reaction officers understand the severity of the situation and urge the road users and pedestrians to remain cautious.
The people of the community have appreciated the Reaction Unit and Verulam SAPS for their collaborative efforts. The community urged them to continue their efforts in this direction and set an example by catching the suspects.
Addressing the issue of darkness on the road, one of the social media users suggested, It’s very important that proper lighting gets sorted out in that area. I travel daily on that route, and along the Palmview/ cornubia intersection it is very dark and scary. Additional lighting will make a big difference.