(CNN)Nearly 600 foreigners were arrested in a
police raid on a business district in Johannesburg, South Africa, police and
government officials said Thursday.
The
operation involving immigration officials and customs in the commercial hub on
Wednesday was to rid the area of counterfeit businesses and crime, South
African Police Service said.
"Over
560 undocumented foreign nationals were taken in for processing," South
Africa police said in the statement and added that authorities would
check their immigration status and criminal records.
The
police did not state the nationalities of those arrested in operation.
Police
said it found unlicensed firearms in a raid called "Operation O Kae
Molao" (A Sesotho phrase meaning Operation Where's the Law?) launched in
2018. Seven policemen, including four officers who were caught selling the
confiscated items to traders were arrested during the raid.
South African Police Minister Bheki Cele said
law enforcement agencies will fight crime no matter who is affected.
"We cannot have parallel governance with
criminals, therefore we will continue to squeeze the space for criminals to
zero regardless of race, gender or nationality," Cele said.
The raid comes barely a week after police
officers clashed with traders when they tried to seize counterfeit products in
the area. Though many people have commended the police efforts, some said it
could spark xenophobic attacks.
"Does it matter if violence is caused by
locals or foreigners? Crime is crime deal with the criminals but do not steer
xenophobia!," One person wrote on Twitter.
South Africa's parliament home affairs
committee chair Bongani Bongo said while immigrants contribute to the country's growth,
illegal immigration should be discouraged. He said that the committee has
called for the deportation of illegal immigrants.
Source: CNN
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