A police crime prevention operation using resources from the airforce, the metro police and the South African Department of Community Safety has been described as a step forward in the fight against crime.

Police have been using a military Oryx helicopter to transfer national intervention teams to crime hot spots.

They then dropped the officers in the area where they set up roadblocks.

Police said that the initiative would also help the teams respond to violent crimes like cash-in-transit heists more efficiently.

The Oryx helicopter caused quite a commotion when it lanaded.

Painted stark white, the large military machine holds up to 14 officers who can be quickly transported across the city.

“The co-operation that we have, the stopping of vehicles, while one person sections the vehicles and the other person checks on our computerised systems to see whether it is stolen, and the others are looking for outstanding fines. So, it is a very integrated approach that we are taking," said the policeman.

The police’s Dennis Adriao said that having the heavily armed officers mobile in the sky would help track criminals who often travel in gangs.