Police and soldiers confiscated mandrax, dagga, and an undisclosed amount of cash during house raids in Gqeberha on the first day of a crime-fighting operation in the Eastern Cape. Nearly 300 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers have been deployed to the province as part of Operation Prosper to tackle organised crime.
Police, supported by soldiers, raided several houses suspected of criminal activities in Gqeberha, seizing mandrax, dagga, and an undisclosed sum of cash. This action marked the launch of Operation Prosper in the Eastern Cape.
The operation targets organised crime, including drug trafficking, illegal firearms, and extortion syndicates. Close to 300 SANDF soldiers have been deployed across the province to support these efforts.
Local resident Mavis Dirkse expressed relief at the military presence. “We feel really a great sense of peace and freedom that we see the children running around," she said. "We heard the army is going to come in, and today it finally happened... We are happy to have the army here, and tonight we are going to be all outside, braaiing, because other times we couldn’t do that.”
The deployment comes amid heightened concerns over crime, particularly during the Easter weekend.
