Wednesday, July 6, 2011

South Africa: Police raid Somali shops

Crime intelligence officers have raided a Somali shopping centre in Mayfair, Johannesburg, after receiving tip-offs about forged documents, people smuggling and money laundering.
National police spokesman Captain Dennis Adriao said that, though no one was arrested, "certain items" were seized.

Adriao said he couldn't reveal the nature of the seized goods as this would "jeopardise further operations". He said the raid was a joint operation between various police units and included immigration officers from the Department of Home Affairs.

Eyewitnesses said several men dressed in civilian clothes entered the Amal Shopping Centre at around 10am and told people to lie on the ground and started searching them.

Abdi Ali, 25, who was standing in the street outside, said the community started throwing stones at officers after one of them dragged a shop owner out of a mosque into which he ran during the raid.

Ali and Mohammed Osman, 21, said police fired tear gas at the crowd, but Adriao wouldn't comment on the accusations: "If they feel the police acted unlawfully, they are welcome to open a case."

He said that crime intelligence officers would usually not be in uniform, but would be accompanied by uniformed officers.

Source: The Times Live

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