Police have arrested at least 2000 suspects in Mpumalanga and Gauteng during Operation Shanela II over the weekend.
According to the South African Police Service, 1 175 suspects were arrested across Mpumalanga from 17 to 19 April.
Operation Shanela II was also conducted in Gauteng over the weekend, resulting in the arrests of 1 031 suspects for various crimes, including wanted suspects.
Mpumalanga
Around 28 unlicensed firearms and 58 rounds of ammunition were recovered during this period. While detectives traced wanted suspects, 146 suspects were arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol, and a further 59 were arrested.
Police arrested 135 suspects for illegal dealing in liquor, in an effort to deal with unlicensed liquor outlets that are non-compliant with the Liquor Act.
An estimated R283 000 worth of counterfeit goods was confiscated, along with 24 vehicles suspected to be stolen or hijacked, which were recovered at roadblocks through intelligence-driven operations. Other suspects were also arrested during the stop-and-search operations.
Court appearances
Recovered unlicensed firearms have been taken for ballistic testing to determine whether they were used in a serious and violent crime scene.
The arrested suspects are expected to appear in various magistrates’ courts around Mpumalanga on Monday, 20 April. While others were released after paying admission-of-guilt fines.
Gauteng
Following the implementation of operations across five districts in the Gauteng, including Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, West Rand and Sedibeng, over the weekend, at least 1 031 suspects were arrested for various crimes, including wanted suspects.
A total of 307 arrests were made by visible policing, including 103 illegal immigrants, 54 arrests for dealing in or possession of drugs, 72 for drunk driving and 32 for dealing in liquor without a licence, among others.
According to Saps reports, 724 wanted suspects were arrested for serious and violent crimes.
Operation Shanela
Operation Shanela is an integrated operation with collaborative efforts from various units within Saps, Metro Police Departments, Gauteng Traffic, Department of Home Affairs, Department of Community Safety, Community Policing Forums and private security companies through the Eyes and Ears Initiative.
Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni said that criminality will not be tolerated in the province.
“Operation Shanela demonstrates that much can be achieved when law enforcement and the community work together in the fight against crime.”
The operation remains a standing weekly operation across Gauteng, with deployments adapted based on the analysis of crime patterns and community concerns.
