Johannesburg: AfricUpdate – News Desk
Over 16000 suspects have been arrested in Operation Shanela efforts over the last week, said the South African Police Service (SAPS). This as a total 16, 571 suspects were arrested between 4 and 10 August 2025 across the country’s nine provinces. During the arrests, police recovered stolen property and confiscated illicit goods and firearms.
The crime-fighting activities by the police included tracking operations, roadblocks, high visibility patrols, stop and searches, as well as the tracing of wanted suspects. “These efforts reflect SAPS’s intensified, intelligence-driven approach to restoring public safety and dismantling organised criminal networks,” said the SAPS in a statement. During the operations, 2 065 wanted suspects were arrested for serious crimes, including murder, rape, hijacking, and drug trafficking while 138 suspects were arrested for murder.
A further 134 people were arrested for attempted murder ,154 for rape, and 1 390 for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH). The number of those caught for driving under the influence of alcohol stood at 607, while 796 were arrested for drug dealing and 2 336 others were nabbed for the possession of drugs. When coming to confiscations and recoveries, police recovered1 480 rounds of ammunition and 124 firearms confiscated while 52 stolen and hijacked vehicles were recovered during this period.
Other breakthroughs made by the SAPS include the arrest of a 32-year-old suspect after a vehicle entering the country from Eswatini via Paulpietersburg carrying 90 bags of dagga worth R4 million was intercepted. The SAPS said it remains committed to protecting lives, dismantling criminal enterprises, and ensuring that the streets are rid of the scourge of criminality.
