Pretoria – Police on Monday announced the arrest of 13 919 suspects in just one week for various crimes including murder, rape, assault, possession of illegal firearms, and armed robberies.
The arrests under Operation Shanela were made between Monday, (12 August 2024) and Sunday, (18 August 2024).
“Through detectives and crime intelligence tracing operations, roadblocks as well as stop and searches – police have taken a bold and decisive approach in protecting the communities that they serve,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
Operation Shanela is led by the Provincial Commissioners.
Police made the following arrests in one week:
- 2 887 wanted suspects for crimes such as murder, rape, possession of illegal firearms and business robberies were arrested
- 121 suspects were arrested for Murder
- 133 suspects were arrested for attempted murder
- 293 suspects were arrested for rape, 124 of them were arrested in the province of KwaZulu Natal
- 161 suspects were arrested for being in the illegal possession of firearms
- Assault GBH continues to register a large number of arrests with 1422 suspects arrested
- 475 suspects were arrested for the illegal dealing in liquor, 154 arrests were made in KZN while 105 were made in MP
- 217 drug dealers were arrested during this period
- 447 were arrested for drunk and driving, 144 were arrested in GP
- 1 771 suspects were arrested for being in possession of drugs, 997 of these arrests were made in the Western Cape
- 64 Illegal miners were arrested, 29 of them were arrested in the Free State
Police Recovered and confiscated the following:
- 112 firearms were confiscated during operations, and 28 of these firearms were confiscated during police operations in Kwa-Zulu Natal. This is the fourth consecutive week in which police in KZN recovered a high number of firearms. In the week from 5 – 10 August 2024, the province seized 20 firearms.
- 1 491 rounds of ammunition were also confiscated.
- 85 hijacked and stolen vehicles were also recovered during this week’s operations
A highlight of major takedowns include the following:
- A 40-year-old Zambian national linked to kidnapping for ransom syndicate and a R300 million crystal meth drug bust was intercepted at OR TAMBO International Airport and arrested
- KZN police traced armed robbers to a house in Ntuzuma, Richmond following a business robbery. Three suspects were fatally wounded and one other suspect was arrested.
- Counterfeit goods worth R37 million were seized in Johannesburg
- Mpumalanga police foiled a cash-in-transit armed robbery, and arrested four suspects and also seized three AK47 rifles in Vosman
- Police in the Eastern Cape seized drugs worth R1 million in Gqerberha.
“Police will continue with their operations in stamping the authority of the state to ensure the safety and security of all people living in South Africa,” said Brigadier Mathe.
