16 956 suspects arrested including 224 rape suspects and 152 illegal firearms seized during this weeks Shanela operations
As government intensifies its efforts to prevent and combat GBVF related crimes, SAPS operations led to the arrest of 224 suspects for rape as well as five suspects for attempted rape.
Amongst those arrested on allegations of rape from 05 May - 11 May 2025, are a SAPS trainer and an Inkosi from KwaZulu-Natal.
The SAPS also continues to intensify its operations to remove illegal firearms to ensure safer communities. Every week the SAPS seizes no less than 100 firearms throughout all corners of the country. In the last seven days, SAPS seized 152 of these illegal firearms. Mpumalanga police seized the majority of illegal firearms this week with 31 followed by Western Cape police with 19 illegal firearms seized.
148 murder suspects were arrested with 38 arrested in the Western Cape and 36 of them arrested in Gauteng.
A total of 128 suspects were also arrested for attempted murder throughout the country.
A staggering figure of 2841 suspects were arrested for being in possession of drugs. The majority of them being 1700 were arrested in the Western Cape.
Still on drugs, police seized 9 492 mandrax tablets with 5839 of these mandrax tablets seized in the Western Cape.
871 suspects were arrested for dealing illegally in liquor, 408 of them were arrested in the province of KwaZulu Natal.
835 suspects were also arrested for driving under the influence of alchohol and or drugs. The provinces of Gauteng and the Western Cape both registered arrests of 195 suspects per province.
256 suspects were arrested for dealing in drugs and the majority being 74 were arrested in the Western Cape province.
86 hijacked and stolen vehicles were also recovered this week.
74 explosives mostly used in illegal mining activities and CIT robberies were also seized by North West police this week.
A number of takedowns and arrests were also made throughout the country which include the following:
- KwaZulu-Natal police shot dead five double-murder suspects in Hammarsdale in KZN. The suspects were wanted for the murders of a couple last week. Police received intelligence about their movements and tracked them down.
- Five suspects were arrested in Mpumalanga in connection with the alleged murder and disappearance of journalist, Aserie Ndlovu and his partner, Zodwa Mdhluli.
- A SAPS trainer was arrested by SAPS officers for the alleged rape of a trainee at one of the SAPS academies.
- Two University of Johannesburg students were arrested for the alleged murder of a Soweto pupil.
- A 54-year-old Inkosi from KwaZulu Natal was arrested for the alleged rape of an 18-year-old female.
- A Crime Intelligence driven operation led to the arrest of two suspects aged 32 and 35 years of age who are belonging to a syndicate committing hijackings and CIT robberies in the Eastern Cape.
- Five (05) suspects aged between 31 and 46 were arrested for extortion cases, on Tuesday, 06 May 2025 by Limpopo police. This comes after, members of Operation Vala Umgodi in the Sekhukhune District were summoned to the scene of extortion at one of the mines in Driekop Policing area.
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