Pretoria: Police have arrested 13,831 suspects through Operation Shanela between 4 and 10 November. Through Operation Shanela, SAPS continues to take a bold and decisive approach in dealing with crime in the country. These crime-fighting activities include tracking operations, roadblocks, high visibility patrols, stop and searches, as well as tracing of wanted suspects.
According to South African Government News Agency, all Shanela operations are led by the Provincial Commissioner of each province. Just last week alone, 1,105 wanted suspects were arrested. These suspects were wanted for various serious and violent crimes such as murder, attempted murder, rape, business, and house robberies.
Additionally, 142 suspects were arrested for murder, with the majority in KwaZulu-Natal (28), followed by the Western Cape (27) and Eastern Cape (26). There were 123 arrests for attempted murder, 29 more than the previous week. Furthermore, 232 suspects were arrested for rape, with the majority being apprehended in KwaZ
ulu-Natal (92).
During the same period, 1,556 suspects were arrested for assault grievous bodily harm (GBH). Drug-related offenses also saw significant arrests, with 228 drug dealers apprehended, 74 more than the previous week, and 1,870 suspects arrested for being in possession of drugs. The majority of these were in the Western Cape (806), followed by Gauteng (313).
The operations also targeted illegal possession of firearms, resulting in 115 arrests, with the majority in Western Cape (29), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (27) and the Eastern Cape (17). In addition, 1,597 illegal foreign nationals were arrested, and 400 drivers were detained for drunken driving.
Under recoveries and confiscations, police registered significant successes, including the confiscation of 151 firearms, 6,193 rounds of ammunition, and the recovery of 66 hijacked and stolen vehicles. Highlights of major takedowns included the arrest of Halalisani Mcunu in Gauteng, linked to a murder case, and the confiscation of 13 firearms by SAP
S Flying Squad members in White River, Mpumalanga.
Furthermore, Operation Vala Umgodi continues its fight against illegal mining, with over 1,000 illegal miners resurfacing from an abandoned mineshaft in Orkney, North West. This week, the National Counterfeit Goods Unit led a takedown operation in Fordsburg, seizing over 8,000 counterfeit items worth over R2 million and arresting twenty-four Pakistani nationals during the operation.
“SAPS is committed to eradicating the illegal trade in counterfeit goods to safeguard consumers, legitimate businesses, and the economy of the country,” SAPS stated. The police emphasized their ongoing commitment to asserting the authority of the state to ensure the safety and security of all South Africans and visitors to the country.