Sunday, February 16, 2025

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Operation Shanela actions prove positive for police across SA

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Maximum police visibility by way of vehicle checkpoints, stop and searches, foot and vehicle patrols, compliance inspections and others resulted in 500 plus arrests for Northern Cape detectives and police in five districts, plus nearly 900 arrests in Limpopo and 900 arrests in the Free State.

Police were deployed as part of the ongoing Operation Shanela that focusses on reducing contact and violent crimes. From Wednesday to Sunday (18 August) policemen and women were in action in the Frances Baard, Namakwa, ZF Mgcawu, John Taolo Gaetsewe and Pixley Ka Seme districts of the Northern Cape.

A statement from the Office of Acting Northern Cape Provincial Commissioner Major General Luntu Ngubelanga has it “numerous compliance inspections” were conducted at second-hand dealers, scrapyards, recyclers, private security operations, firearm dealers, formal and informal businesses, farms and mines.

While these were underway, police were also manning checkpoints, undertaking searches and patrolling across the five municipal districts of the Northern Cape. Their “haul” was 217 suspects arrested for offences ranging from murder, attempted murder, rape robbery, assault, burglary, malicious damage to property, dealing and possession of drugs, illicit mining, possession of counterfeit goods, possession of suspected stolen stock, undocumented persons and possession of precious metals. Illegally dealing in liquor resulted in 10 liquor outlets being closed.

Not to be outdone by their uniformed colleagues, detectives were also active netting 287 suspects wanted for, among others, not making court appearances and contravening court orders, in tracing operations.

In addition to arrests, police confiscated what is termed “large volumes of alcoholic beverages, non-ferrous metal items and huge amounts of drugs and cash believed to be the proceeds of drug dealing” in raids.

Operation Shanela activities in the Free State yielded 900 arrests for possession of drugs, rape, murder, attempted murder and possession of dangerous weapons. Combating illegal mining also led to the arrest of 161 undocumented people. The police arrested 29 suspects for burglary, 20 for possession of gold-bearing material and 29 for illicit mining.

Police also clamped down on stock theft in the Free State last week. In Villiers, three suspects were arrested after a collaborative operation on a suspicious quantum minibus taxi. The vehicle was tracked and found to have 24 stolen sheep. In Ventersburg, seven men from two vehicles—a silver Audi and a red VW Polo—were arrested after Henneman police and Ventersburg police stopped both vehicles and found them with a shared slaughtered cow in both cars. Other cows were found at a farm near Poul Roux and Senekal. In Bloemspruit, four suspects were arrested after Bloemfontein Flying Squard stopped a white Tazz and found sheep in the vehicle. Further information led the members, together with the Bloemfontein Stock Theft Unit, to a house where more stolen sheep were found hidden inside a house. Nine stolen sheep were recovered.

Police in the Free State continue to arrest drug peddlers. In one incident, four suspects aged between 20 and 41 were arrested during the early hours of Wednesday, 14 August. They were busy packaging dagga intended to be distributed for peddling at different identified schools. Dagga worth an estimated R1.5 million was seized.

Meanwhile in Limpopo, police between 12 and 18 August arrested 870 suspects for various offenses, including murder, attempted murder, rape, dealing in drugs, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition among other charges.

Police recovered two stolen or hijacked motor vehicles, one unlicensed firearm, thirteen dangerous weapons, and stolen items.

Moreover, 38 wanted suspects were also arrested for serious cases such as rape, carjacking, and murder.

The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has commended police for ensuring that the citizens of the province are well protected against any criminal activities.

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