Gauteng Police Commissioner General Tommy Mthombeni reckons that the gangster commonly referred to as “John Wick” in Mamelodi is just an imaginary person who has never actually existed.
“There were suspicions that a gangster who was shot and killed on his way from Bronkhorstspruit to Mamelodi earlier this year was the so-called John Wick,” said Mthombeni when he spoke to Tshwane Talks on Saturday night at a roadblock in Mamelodi East.
The occasion was at a roadblock that was being manned by the police in Mamelodi as part of the Safer Festive Season Operation Shanela.
Mthombeni told journalists that if they have information about the so-called John Wick still being alive, then they must contact the police intelligence and help in tracing him, and their identities will be kept secret.
“As the police we have managed to thwart the so-called John Wick who was driving to Mamelodi from Bronkhorstspruit; a shootout ensued and this so-called John Wick chap was fatally wounded, yet people still talk about him as if he is still alive, but when our crime intelligence asks the community to point out anyone going by the nickname John Wick, no one is able to do so,” said Mthombeni.
Focusing on acts of extortion in Mamelodi, Mthombeni revealed that two people have been arrested for collecting rent money at the Heatherly RDP flats in the Far East of Mamelodi.
He also said two other people were arrested in connection with illegal connection of electricity.
“The issue of Boko Haram in Mamelodi has been assigned to crime intelligence and they are dealing with the gang as the four suspects that have just been arrested are linked to Boko Haram activities,” explained Mthombeni.
Regarding to the roadblock block and general patrol by the police in Mamelodi, Mthombeni revealed that contact crimes were still a challenge in Mamelodi; mentioning murder, attempted murder, assault with intent to do grievously bodily harm, common assault, robbery and robbery with aggravating circumstances among the rampant crimes.
“Based on our crime statics, most crimes in Gauteng were committed in Johannesburg with 36% of the overall statistics, followed by Tshwane with 26% of the overall statistics, and Soshanguve and Mamelodi are among the places where crime has been committed the most,” he said.
He revealed that during the recent Operation Shanela that was embarked upon in Mamelodi on Saturday, 488 suspects were arrested, including murder suspects among them.
“A total of 37 illegal immigrants, 7 drunk driving suspects and 4 drug dealers were arrested, while 5 illegal liquor outlets were shut down,” he said.
The Police Commissioner explained that roadblocks are set up in order to also look for hijacked vehicles and properties that may come from acts of house and business robbery, and that 2 vehicles whose engines had been tampered with were recovered by the police at the roadblock that had been set up in Mamelodi on Saturday.
Mthombeni also referred to food poisoning issues in Mamelodi and revealed that an operation targeting non-compliance by spaza shop owners was set up and 37 spaza shops were shut down as a result.
He said 66 car wash outlets were shut down as they were operating illegally and their cleaning equipments were confiscated.
He revealed that law-enforcement officers have been deployed on notorious routes like N1, N3, N12 and N4 to maintain law and order and prevent any criminal acts on the aforesaid routes.
“I’m so happy to see law enforcement working hard during festive season and it shows they are putting the public first and making sure they are safe,” said motorist Freddy Seshego.
“This operation is good and law enforcement doing their work and keeping us safe and i hope it continue,” said Lenna Kekana.