Police have shut down 541 illegal shebeens across the country during this past week’s Easter long weekend.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said of the 541 illegal shebeens that were shut down, 270 of the operations were closed in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mathe said of the 757 suspects arrested for dealing in illegal liquor, 270 were arrested in KwaZulu-Natal, while 144 were taken into custody in Mpumalanga and 142 were nabbed in Gauteng.
She said 1 166 motorists were also arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs during this [Easter weekend] period.
Majority of motorists arrested in Mpumalanga
Mathe said 265 motorists were arrested in Mpumalanga, adding that 1 209 suspects who were found to be in possession of drugs were also arrested.
She stated that 393 of them were arrested in KwaZulu-Natal, and 249 suspects were nabbed for dealing in drugs. The Western Cape registered the majority of those arrested, with 61.
Meanwhile, Mathe said just this past week alone, a total of 17 605 suspects were arrested through police’s Operation Shanela.
“[This was] the highest number of arrests registered in a week in months. Police officers across the country remain hard at work in preventing, combating, and investigating crime,” said Mathe.
Mathe said Operation Shanela led to the arrests of 3 662 wanted suspects for rape, murder, and attempted murder, among a host of other serious and violent crimes.
She said 215 suspects were arrested and charged for rape. The majority of those arrested for rape were apprehended in KwaZulu-Natal, where 67 were taken into custody.
Operation Vala Umgodi
The other arrests during the operation include:
- 145 murder suspects were arrested and the majority were arrested in Gauteng (30);
- 129 suspects were arrested for attempted murder;
- 1 574 suspects were arrested for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm;
- 110 suspects were arrested for being in illegal possession of firearms; the majority of these suspects were arrested in KwaZulu-Natal (35).
Under recoveries and confiscations for this past week, Mathe said police confiscated 128 firearms, 4 220 rounds of ammunition, and recovered 87 hijacked and stolen vehicles.
With regards to Operation Vala Umgodi, Mathe said police nabbed 104 suspects last week in connection with illegal mining activities in the North West, while 11 suspects were arrested in Free State.
“Police will continue with their operations by asserting the authority of the state to ensure the safety and security of all South Africans and visitors to the country,” said Mathe.
