Through its high-density operations commonly known as OPERATION SHANELA, the South African Police Service (SAPS) arrested 15 505 suspects from the period starting, Monday, 10 March 2025 ending on Sunday, 16 March 2025.
Through OPERATION SHANELA, the SAPS continues to take a bold and decisive approach in dealing with crime in the country. These crime fighting activities include tracking operations, roadblocks, high visibility patrols, stop and searches as well as tracing of wanted suspects.
All SHANELA operations are led by the Provincial Commissioner of each province.
Just this week alone, the following arrests were made:
▶️ 2 531 wanted suspects were arrested, 661 more than the previous week;
▶ 158 suspects were arrested for murder, majority of these suspects were arrested in Gauteng (39);
▶️ 146 suspects were arrested for attempted murder;
▶️ 254 suspects were arrested for rape, 95 of these arrests were made in KwaZulu-Natal;
▶️1 754 suspects were arrested for assault GBH during this period;
▶ 235 drug dealers were arrested in the past week, majority of these suspects were arrested in Western Cape (79)
▶️ 1 761 suspects were arrested for being in possession of drugs, majority of these suspects were arrested in Western Cape (758);
▶️ 103 suspects were arrested for being in the illegal possession of firearms, majority of these suspects were arrested in KwaZulu-Natal (29);
▶️1 370 illegal foreign nationals were also arrested during this period;
▶️ 550 drivers were arrested for drunken driving in the past week, majority of arrests in Gauteng (103); followed by Mpumalanga (94) and Western Cape (94)
Under recoveries and confiscations, police registered the following successes:
▶️ 130 firearms were confiscated in the past week, this includes 97 handguns, 17 homemade firearms, nine rifles and seven shotguns;
▶️ 3002 rounds of ammunition were confiscated;
▶️ 74 hijacked and stolen vehicles were also recovered during this week’s operations.
Highlights of major takedowns and other successes include the following:
▶️ On 12 March 2025, The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola has commended the SAPS Border Policing High Density Team for arresting a convicted Mozambican fugitive, Nelson Simiao Massango who escaped from the Maputo Maximum prison during the unrest in December 2024. He was arrested at a car hire dealership in Sandton. He was also linked to several cases of theft of motor vehicle in Gauteng and smuggled them to be sold in Mozambique.
▶️ Gauteng Police uncovered an illicit alcohol manufacturing plant and arrested two Taiwan nationals in Westonaria, west of Johannesburg. At the manufacturing plant, police discovered illicit alcohol to the estimated value of R1 million already packaged for distribution and some inside eleven 250 litre drums, including chemical used to produce alcohol.
▶️ One suspect was fatally shot while two others sustained injuries, and two suspects were arrested during a shootout with police in Lenasia, Johannesburg. This incident happened when the multi-disciplinary team comprising of SAPS Tactical Response Unit and Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) were operationalising intelligence information of a planned ATM bombing by a group of ten criminals. They were also wanted for several ATM bombings and other serious crimes in Gauteng and other neighbouring provinces
▶️ A multi-disciplinary team led by Anti-Kidnapping Task Team arrested five suspects and rescued an Ethiopian businessman who was kidnapped in Norwood, Johannesburg. The team traced the victim to a house in Kensington. During a takedown operation, a shootout ensued and one kidnapper was shot dead while other five kidnappers were arrested. Four firearms, an AK47 as well as ammunition, were seized in the incident.
▶️ In a separate takedown, police rescued a 55-year-old Pakistani businessman and arrested four kidnappers, two South Africans, and two Pakistani nationals, in different locations in Gauteng on Thursday, 13 March 2025 following an intelligence-led operation. The team also seized an illegal firearm and a vehicle during this operation.
▶️ Police in Eastern Cape apprehended six men aged between 27 and 29 years on the N2 highway near Kinkelbos who allegedly shot and killed a 40-year-old man during a house robbery in KwaMaqoma. During their arrest, police seized unlicensed firearm with ammunition and a stolen cellphone.
▶️ A joint intelligence-driven operation conducted by Tactical Response Team (TRT) and Public Order Police (POP) members led to the arrest of a 36-year-old alleged serial rapist in Boitekong , Rustenburg on 10 March 2025. The team spotted and stopped the suspect’s vehicle and found a replica firearm as well as victims’ handbags and cell phones. Further investigations positively linked the suspect to five rape and nine of armed robbery cases.
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.
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