Cape town: Several suspects are due to appear in court for various crimes, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has said, due to the Nelson Mandela Bay District in the Eastern Cape’s continued relentless fight against crime over the weekend through Operation Shanela II. The operation yielded significant successes, including the recovery of stolen property, firearms, and ammunition.
According to South African Government News Agency, on Thursday, 30 October 2025, stop-and-search operations in Wells Estate led to the arrest of four suspects. A complainant identified his stolen VW Polo, two Samsung cell phones (A30 and A31), and an undisclosed amount of cash found in the suspects’ possession. Upon further inspection, police discovered three firearms in the vehicle, which were later established to be blank firearms. Following information provided by the arrested suspects, police were directed to a shop in NU29 in Motherwell, where they found an Ethiopian male (32) unlawfully in possession of a real firearm used during the crime. The four suspects were detained on charges of possession of dangerous weapons and possession of suspected stolen property.
In another unrelated success, on Friday, 31 October 2025, the Nelson Mandela Bay District Crime combatting unit followed up on information related to an abduction and hijacking case in the Gelvandale policing precinct. A white VW Polo linked to the incident was intercepted in Avenue C, New Brighton, leading to the arrest of a suspect found with 20 live rounds of ammunition and a black Nasty Vape matching items stolen during the Gelvandale hijacking. The suspect was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of ammunition and possession of suspected stolen property, and further investigation led to the recovery of stolen stock valued at approximately R150,000.
On Saturday, 01 November 2025, the Nelson Mandela Bay District Crime combatting unit received information about a kidnapping in Somerset East involving two vehicles. A roadblock was set up near Kariega, resulting in the arrest of an occupant from a crashed grey Polo. The Mazda, carrying the kidnapped victim, was pursued by police and overturned near the Daniel Pienaar off-ramp. In the ensuing confrontation, one suspect was fatally shot, another arrested, while a third fled. The victim, a 40-year-old Ethiopian male, was rescued unharmed.
During these operations, various items were confiscated, including firearms, ammunition, cash, cell phones, and vehicles. Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner, Major General Vuyisile Ncata, commended the Crime Combatting Units for their dedication and bravery, emphasizing their professionalism and teamwork. He highlighted that these successes reflect SAPS’s commitment to ensuring community safety and sending a clear message that criminals have no place to hide in Nelson Mandela Bay.