Johannesburg: The South African Police Service (SAPS) has made a significant breakthrough in its nationwide crime-fighting initiative, Operation Shanela, by arresting 11,059 suspects between 11 and 17 November 2024. This large-scale operation involved coordinated efforts across various provinces, targeting serious and violent crimes with a series of high-impact activities such as tracking operations, roadblocks, high visibility patrols, and tracing of wanted suspects.
According to South African Government News Agency, each province’s Provincial Commissioner led the Operation Shanela activities, which resulted in the arrest of 2,086 wanted suspects for crimes including murder, attempted murder, rape, and robberies. Specifically, 125 individuals were arrested for murder, with Gauteng recording the highest number of arrests at 40, followed by Western Cape and Eastern Cape.
The operation also saw 115 arrests for attempted murder and 191 arrests for rape, with KwaZulu-Natal responsible for the majority of rape-r
elated arrests, totaling 86. Additionally, 1,395 suspects faced charges for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), and 329 drug dealers were apprehended, marking an increase of 101 arrests from the previous week.
The crackdown extended to drug-related offenses, with 1,355 suspects arrested for possession, predominantly in the Western Cape. The operation also led to the arrest of 128 individuals for illegal firearm possession, and 1,364 illegal foreign nationals were apprehended.
Further successes under Operation Shanela included the confiscation of 137 firearms and 2,003 rounds of ammunition, along with the recovery of 61 hijacked and stolen vehicles. Highlights of major takedowns included the arrest of 11 suspects in Limpopo for extortion at a mine, the apprehension of three suspects in Northern Cape for unlawful possession of rhino horns and protected plants, and the capture of five individuals linked to spiking incidents on the N1 in Limpopo.
In another significant bust, Limpopo police
detained two Zimbabwean nationals for smuggling illicit cigarettes worth over R1 million. The suspects were intercepted en route to Gauteng, with 170 boxes of illicit Remington Gold cigarettes seized.
The SAPS has affirmed its commitment to maintaining public safety, emphasizing that operations like Shanela will persist in asserting state authority to protect South Africans and visitors alike.