Operation Shanela continues to make an impact across communities with 904 suspects having been apprehended for various transgressions in the North West province.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the suspects arrested across all districts in the province were held for crimes including murder, attempted murder, assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, dealing in drugs, malicious damage to property and driving under the influence of alcohol.
A total of 374 suspects were arrested in raiding operations.
Operation Shanela consists of regular stop and searches, roadblocks, vehicle check points and high visibility patrols including foot patrols. Tracing of wanted suspects, mainly for murder and rape. Also compliance inspections at liquor outlets and second-hand goods dealers.
In addition, 43 suspected undocumented foreign nationals were taken in for processing by immigration officials.
Almost 100 premises searched
The police also visited and searched 95 premises while 2,622 persons and 1,477 vehicles were searched. Seven firearms, 37 ammunition, 11 cellular phones, a variety of drugs and tobacco products were also confiscated.
The provincial commissioner, Lieutenant-General Sello Kwena commended all law enforcement agencies. He also lauded other role players for their continuous efforts in the fight against criminality.
More than 500,000 arrested since launch of anti-crime campaign
Last month, Police Minister Bheki Cele said over half a million people have been arrested across the country since the launch of Operation Shanela. The anti-crime campaign was launched in May 2023.
Cele was giving an update on progress made in addressing serious crimes in the country.
Operation Shanela was launched in May 2023 in an attempt to clamp down on crime in high-density areas across the country.
“Officers in blue across all nine provinces have led close to 70,000 high-density crime prevention operations,” Cele said.
Cele said the majority of people nabbed through this operation were suspects of assault with grievous bodily harm. A total of 63,573 of them were arrested.
Following this group were a little over 41,000 suspects who were arrested for being found to be in the country illegally. Other arrests include 8,563 suspected rapists, 6,045 murder suspects and 4,410 suspects for attempted murder.
Cele said Operation Shanela’s crime-prevention focus works together with local, provincial, traffic police and other related departments.
The Police Minister also revealed that over 150 suspected criminals have been killed by police since April 2023 during takedown operations.
The figures come amid growing concerns over the rise in killings of suspected criminals by police.
- SAnews.gov.za
