27 people arrested for various crimes in Soweto - Mawela
The Lapland Landfill is an informal settlement just outside the Pickitup dumping site, where a group of people known as 'Basotho' work as recyclers.
JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela said 27 people had been arrested for various crimes in the operation O Kae Molao in Soweto.
Mawela and a cohort of police visited the Lapland dumping site near Freedom Park, where 5 bodies were discovered on Wednesday.
The Lapland Landfill is an informal settlement just outside the Pickitup dumping site, where a group of people known as 'Basotho' work as recyclers.
But recently, many violent crimes were reported in this area including murders and the dumping of bodies.
The commissioner started the operation in an informal settlement called Maseru between Pimville and Orlando.
It’s understood many of the recyclers who work in Lapland live there and in another settlement near the Nancefield Hostel.
Mawela said arrests were made in these areas.
"We found two positively identified stolen vehicles and seven stolen engines of vehicles. The people were arrested and in that particular area it's a chop shop."
While the arrests have not been linked to the recent murders, Mawela said they had gathered useful information on these crimes.
The Eldorado park community has been complaining about Lapland which is a dumping site. They say the Basotho who work here as recyclers are usually armed and pose a threat to the community pic.twitter.com/ZogWKYwQD9
EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) January 20, 2022
We are in Lapland. Police are looking for a group of people known as Basotho
EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) January 20, 2022
They are linked to violent crimes in this area including the killing of 5 people along the Golden Highway yesterday. KM pic.twitter.com/7WZa7SScK7
