A total of 115 people, including police officers, have been arrested for allegedly illegally occupying Durban police living quarters, KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said on Saturday.

"All the arrested suspects were charged for trespassing and given a R300 fine. A further two dockets of corruption were opened after police established that some people were renting out rooms in these buildings to other occupants," Naicker said in a statement.

He said police officers who were meant to live in the building had rented their homes out and in some instances, the rooms had been hijacked.

Acting provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said, "It has become apparent over some time that residences which were built to house our police officials have been illegally accommodating people who do not work for the South African Police Service.

"This has resulted in these buildings being in a state of dilapidation and not fit for human habitation. The fact that people are on our police premises illegally also poses a risk to the police officers that work from these places."

Mkhwanazi due to the state that the building was in, the police decided to undertake a cleanup operation at the living quarters at the Durban Central Police Station.

"In the early hours morning on Friday, 15 June 2018 members from various units... conducted an operation in both the male and female single quarters as well as the married quarters.

"During the operation a large number of people were found in these living quarters when they should not be there," said Mkhwanazi.