GRAAFF-REINET NEWS — Once again, Captain Sonette du Preez, Graaff-Reinet Cluster Management Information Centre, is able to report on a number of successes in the past week, from 3 July to 9 July.

These statistics are for the Aberdeen and Graaff-Reinet districts, including the satellite station at Nieu-Bethesda.

A total of 58 arrests were made in this period.

Nine of these were for assault GBH, with another five for common assault. There was one further arrest for domestic violence.

In property-related crimes, there were five arrests for housebreaking and theft, four for theft, seven for shoplifting and five for malicious damage to property. One suspect was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle.

There were six arrests for drugs, for possession of Mandrax, and ten drunk and disorderly arrests. In addition, three people were arrested for drunken driving, and two under warrants of arrest.

Several convictions were also secured during the last week.

For shoplifting, a sentence of R1 500 or 3 months imprisonment, suspended for three years, was handed down. For theft, one suspect received a fine of R300, or one-month imprisonment, suspended for five years. One suspect convicted for theft was given 12 months imprisonment, of which 6 months suspended for 5 years.

The final three cases saw the suspects declared unfit to possess a firearm, as well as their custodial sentences. In another case of theft, the sentence was a fine of R6 000 or three months imprisonment, suspended for five years.

For the assault on a member of the police, the suspect was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, and for robbery, the suspect was sentenced to 18 months behind bars. Several items were also confiscated by the police or handed in.

This week's haul consists of dagga, a GPS unit, bedding, Mandrax tablets, SASSA cards, bank cards, clothing, spades, rakes, a wheelbarrow, speakers, jumper cables, torches, cell phones, knives, ID documents and counterfeit money.

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