South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal Police have arrested more than 120 illegal immigrants in raids on hijacked buildings mostly occupied by undocumented immigrants.
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, said the raids were carried out in the Durban Central Business District.
This follows recent declarations by authorities to stop cases of building fires that have mostly engulfed 'hijacked buildings' occupied by illegal migrants.
Provincial police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda says, “This is the integrated operation which is targeting hijacked buildings by foreign nationals. We have identified that most of the crime is happening here.”
'Multiple arrests'
“We have arrested illegal foreigners, and [when] we climbed [into] the building, somebody threw away a bag full of fake dollars. We also arrested a suspect who was wanted for a rape case,” adds Netshiunda.
Four people have died and more than 200 people were displaced after a fire engulfed a three-story building in Jeppestown last Saturday.
The incident comes less than a year after the Usindiso Johannesburg building fire, which killed 77 people and left more than 150 people displaced.
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has since vowed action will be taken to deal with hijacked buildings.
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