Baku:Mpumalanga The South African Police Service (SAPS) has launched its National Safer Festive Season campaign to enhance crime-fighting efforts and police visibility as the holiday season approaches. This initiative is in conjunction with the ongoing Operation Shanela.
According to South African Government News Agency, the past week alone saw Operation Shanela leading to the arrest of 16,380 suspects for various offences. This included 2,165 wanted individuals connected to violent crimes who were apprehended across multiple provinces.
Efforts to combat gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) as part of the Presidential Four-Point Plan resulted in the arrest of 169 suspects for rape, 155 for murder, and 140 for attempted murder. During this period, police also recovered 164 illegal firearms, confiscated 17,277 rounds of ammunition, and seized 760 dangerous weapons.
Intelligence-driven operations targeting drug-related crimes have been intensified. Police reported 3,373 arrests for drug possession and 275 arrests for drug dealing. Significant operations included the discovery of a multi-million-rand mandrax laboratory in Hartbeespoort, North West, leading to the arrest of a 39-year-old Zimbabwean national and three women. Another laboratory was found in Krugersdorp, Gauteng, resulting in the arrest of five South African nationals and the seizure of mandrax and ecstasy tablets.
In Hout Bay, Western Cape, police arrested three suspects after uncovering 172,000 mandrax tablets valued at approximately R10 million hidden in a vehicle.
SAPS, working with the Department of Home Affairs, arrested 1,647 undocumented foreign nationals. Additional arrests were made in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng for offences such as public violence and unlawful gatherings.
The police will continue to maintain heightened visibility in hotspot areas to prevent crime and maintain public order. SAPS highlights the importance of these operations in disrupting criminal networks and removing illegal firearms and drugs from circulation.
Other arrests included 1,700 for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, 998 for common assault, and a range of other offences. Confiscations included 18,807 litres of liquor and 48 stolen vehicles.