KZN police concerned with the increase in organised crime being orchestrated from prisons

DURBAN - KwaZulu-Natal police are concerned about an increase in organised crime being orchestrated from prison cells.

Police in the province say criminal activities, including murders, are being coordinated by criminals who are behind bars.

The KZN provincial government and police gave an update on the province’s crime statistics on Tuesday morning.

The crime stats in the province show a significant decline in reported rape cases, property theft and other contact crimes.  

However, police say murder remains a concerning factor, with more than 1,420 cases registered. 

All districts in the province, with the exception of eThekwini, show an increase in murder cases.

Provincial police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is also concerned about hits being ordered from prison cells.

"What disturbs us is that majority of these crimes and what we are experiencing as the police is that they are organised behind bars - there are those who are in prison there’s a quite a lot of crimes we are dealing with that are organised by people who are in prison already."

Mkhwanazi has questioned the rehabilitation of criminals through prison, saying it seems they learn more about crime behind bars instead.