Through its high-density operations commonly known as OPERATION SHANELA, the South African Police Service (SAPS) arrested 14 424 suspects from the period starting, Monday, 18 November 2024 ending on Sunday, 24 November 2024.
Through OPERATION SHANELA, the 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.
All SHANELA operations are led by the Provincial Commissioner of each province.
Just this week alone, the following arrests were made:
▶️ 2 795 wanted suspects were arrested. These suspects were wanted for various serious and violent crimes such as murder, attempted murder, rape, business and house robberies.
▶️ 113 suspects were arrested for murder, majority of these suspects were arrested in Eastern Cape (28), followed by Western Cape (24);
▶️ 89 suspects were arrested for attempted murder;
▶️ 218 suspects were arrested for rape, again KwaZulu-Natal arrested majority of these suspects with 86 arrests;
▶️ 1 497 suspects were arrested for assault GBH during this period;
▶️ 197 drug dealers were arrested in the past week;
▶️ 1 698 suspects were arrested for being in possession of drugs, majority of these suspects were arrested in Western Cape (1018);
▶️ 147 suspects were arrested for being in the illegal possession of firearms, majority of these suspects were arrested in Gauteng (32), followed by KZN (31), Western Cape (29);
▶️ 1 695 illegal foreign nationals were also arrested during this period;
▶️ 424 drivers were arrested for drunk and driving in the past week, majority of arrests in Gauteng (138);
Under recoveries and confiscations, police registered the following successes:
▶️ 140 firearms were confiscated in the past week;
▶️ 1 414 rounds of ammunition were also confiscated;
▶️ 79 hijacked and stolen vehicles were also recovered during this week's operations
Highlights of major takedowns and other successes include the following:
▶️On 20 November 2024, police in Gauteng arrested a security officer for allegedly selling an R5 rifle and ammunition to the Zama zamas around the West Rand area. Preliminary investigation was conducted and lots of rounds of R1 rifle, R5 rifle, 38 special, 9mm and shotgun were also discovered at his house in Westonaria.
▶️ SAPS in Mpumalanga conducted an intelligence-driven operation comprised of Crime Intelligence, Witbank Tactical Response Team, Middleburg Flying Squad and a Tracking company which led to the arrest of four suspects that were found in possession of 68 suspected stolen bank cards on the N4 Freeway in Belfast. After a lengthy pursuit, the vehicle was cornered on the N4 en route to Mbombela. The suspects were arrested on the spot.
▶️ Limpopo police arrested two foreign nationals for being in possession of illegal explosives worth R2 million in the Makhado policing area, Vhembe District. Members of the Vhembe Flying Squad conducted a tactical stop-and-search operation on a vehicle travelling along the N1 South, a few kilometres outside Makhado town, heading towards Polokwane. They discovered four bags in the boot containing Super Power 90 Gel Tubes and arrested the suspects on the scene.
▶️ Gauteng police arrested two suspects linked to a mob justice after four people were badly beaten and shot dead in an open field in Dawn Park. Two others were also discovered with severe injuries and are currently fighting for their lives in hospital. Police investigations are continuing.
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▶️ OPERATION VALA UMGODI task teams continue to record commendable successes in the country. Just last week alone, police arrested 54 suspects for illegal mining and majority of these suspects were arrested in the North West province. The multidisciplinary operations under Operation Vala Umgodi are continuing to make inroads to combat illegal mining in the country.
▶️ Police in KwaZulu-Natal have intensified operations to detect vessels that come into the country carrying illegal items and products that are not authorized to be in South Africa. This comes on the back of raids carried out on four warehouses in the Durban south area of the Bluff, on Wednesday afternoon. The warehouses were used to store the expired food, mostly of foreign origin.
Police will continue with their operations by asserting the authority of the state to ensure the safety and security of all South Africans and visitors to the country.
