Police have through their high density operations commonly known as OPERATION SHANELA arrested 14 422 suspects from the period starting, Monday, 19 August and ending Sunday, 25 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.

All Shanela operations are led by the Provincial Commissioner of each province.

Just this week alone, the following arrests were made:

• 2 873 wanted suspects for crimes such as murder, rape, possession of illegal firearms and business robberies were arrested
• 125 suspects were arrested for Murder
• 125  suspects were arrested for attempted murder
• 207 suspects were arrested for rape, 77 of them were arrested in the province of KwaZulu Natal
• 123 suspects were arrested for being in the illegal possession of firearms
• Assault GBH continues to register a large number of arrests with 1607 suspects arrested
•  725 suspects were arrested for the illegal dealing in liquor, 274  arrests were made in FS while 142 were made in MP
• 209 drug dealers were arrested during this period
• 613 were arrested for drunk and driving, 174 were arrested in GP while 128 were arrested in KZN
• 1183 suspects were arrested for being in possession of drugs, 588 of these arrests were made in the Western Cape
•  23 Car Hijackers were arrested, 12 of them were arrested in GP
• 58 Illegal miners were arrested, 49 of them were arrested in the Free State

Under recoveries and confiscations, police registered the following successes:

• 154 firearms were confiscated during operations, 26 handguns were confiscated during police operations in Gauteng, 25 were seized in the Western Cape while 24 were seized in KZN.
• 4 266 rounds of ammunition were also confiscated.
• 69 hijacked and stolen vehicles were also recovered during this weeks operations

A highlight of major takedowns include the following:

• Two foreign nationals were arrested and a drug lab with drugs and machinery to the value of R80 million was shut down by Gauteng police in Douglasdale .
• An intelligence driven operation led to the foiling of a planned kidnapping in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg. Five suspects including two South Africans, two Ugandans and a Malawian have been arrested and charged for conspiracy to kidnap and extortion.
• Mpumalanga police seized illicit cigarettes worth R2.5 million during a disruptive operation in Hazyview. Three suspects were arrested and charged.
• Three suspects including two farmers were arrested for shooting and killing two women on a farm in Limpopo. The bodies of the women were found in a pigsty at the farm.

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.

Media enquiries: 
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe 
Cell: 082 040 8808