Friday, February 7, 2025

FIRST WITH SECURITY NEWS

Operation Shanela: Another week of crime fighting success

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Through its high-density operations known as Operation Shanela, the South African Police Service (SAPS) arrested 12,251 suspects during the period from Monday, 27 January 2025, to Sunday, 02 February 2025. This initiative continues to demonstrate a bold and decisive approach to tackling crime in the country through tracking operations, roadblocks, high-visibility patrols, stop-and-search actions, and the tracing of wanted suspects. The Provincial Commissioner of each province leads all Operation Shanela activities.

During the past week, police arrested 2,095 wanted suspects for serious and violent crimes, including murder, attempted murder, rape, and business and house robberies. Among these, 135 suspects were apprehended for murder, with Gauteng accounting for 47 arrests, followed by 36 in the Eastern Cape. Additionally, 120 individuals were arrested for attempted murder, while 218 suspects faced charges of rape, the majority of whom were arrested in KwaZulu-Natal, totaling 80. Assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) led to 1,546 arrests.

Drug-related crimes saw a significant number of arrests, with 170 drug dealers taken into custody and 1,412 suspects apprehended for possession of narcotics. The Western Cape accounted for the highest number of drug possession arrests at 791. Firearms-related offenses resulted in 86 arrests for illegal possession, with KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape each recording 26 arrests. Meanwhile, 1,065 illegal foreign nationals were taken into custody, and 352 drivers were arrested for drunk driving, with the Western Cape reporting the highest number of such arrests at 96.

Police confiscated 112 firearms and 1,076 rounds of ammunition. Additionally, 43 hijacked and stolen vehicles were recovered during the operations.

In Mpumalanga, police apprehended two suspects involved in the torching of 51 Putco buses in Nkangala District on 27 January 2025. A cellphone belonging to one of the victims and a magazine without ammunition were seized during the arrest. In the North West, law enforcement intercepted a truck on the R49 road in Zeerust and discovered crystal meth valued at R37 million hidden in a false compartment. The operation led to the arrest of a 38-year-old Zambian national and a 41-year-old Tanzanian national for drug trafficking.

Gauteng police arrested a suspect linked to a double murder and house robbery in Lyttelton, Pretoria. The suspect posed as a prospective buyer of homes listed for sale before targeting victims, using a firearm and knife to carry out fatal attacks. Meanwhile, in the OR Tambo District of the Eastern Cape, the Tactical Response Team (TRT) arrested a 33-year-old suspect for possession of unlicensed firearms, including an R5 rifle, AK-47, shotgun, pistol, revolver, and assorted magazines and ammunition.

Operation Vala Umgodi task teams continued their clampdown on illegal mining, arresting 34 suspects, with the majority—26 arrests—occurring in the Free State province. Police in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal seized over 70,000 counterfeit items valued at more than R90 million and arrested 37 suspects in multiple takedown operations conducted throughout January 2025.

A major breakthrough in gang-related crime was achieved in KwaZulu-Natal when the most wanted and feared Inanda West gang leader and his accomplice were fatally shot during a shootout with police in Verulam on 30 January 2025. Intelligence revealed that the gang members were en route to Umhlanga to collect drugs and ammunition when police intercepted their vehicle. The suspects opened fire, leading to a gun battle in which the 22-year-old gang leader and his 27-year-old accomplice were fatally wounded.

SAPS remains committed to asserting the authority of the state to ensure the safety and security of all South Africans and visitors to the country. Through continued operations, law enforcement will work tirelessly to combat crime and uphold public safety.

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