Police in the Northern Cape have arrested 173 suspects for an array of crimes through Operation Shanela.

The suspects were nabbed for crimes including illicit dealing in liquor, dealing in drugs, robberies, murder, attempted murder, housebreaking and theft, malicious damage to property, assault common and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Undocumented persons were also part of those arrested during the weekly police operations.

The operations were conducted from Thursday until Sunday, and included stop and searches, vehicle checkpoints (VCPs), roadblocks, high visibility patrols, foot patrols, the tracing of wanted suspects, compliance inspections at liquor outlets, tuck shops, businesses, second hand goods dealers, scrap yards, visits to formal and informal businesses and farms and awareness campaigns.

Numerous vehicle check points and roadblocks were conducted in all five districts of the province, during which 1 601 vehicles and 2 499 persons were stopped and searched. Shopping malls and complexes as well as taxi ranks were patrolled to increase visibility in the hot spot areas.

Detectives traced and arrested 119 daily wanted suspects for failing to attend court appearances

During the operations, thousands of litres of alcoholic beverages, cash, drugs such as crystal meth (tik), dagga and dagga plants were seized.

As part of the Safer Schools Programme, South African Police Service (SAPS) members visited schools, and addressed learners and educators on safety issues.

The Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, accompanied by the MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison, visited a rural school on Thursday in the Mothibistad policing precinct, where they handed over school shoes and goodie bags to the learners.

Otola thanked all SAPS members and external role players, including community policing forum structures, for their relentless efforts to fight crime.