1 457 suspects arrested as Operation Shanela II intensifies crime crackdown in the Free State

A total of 1 457 suspectswere arrested across the Free State during the latest Operation Shanela II, as police intensified efforts to combat violent crime, remove illegal firearms and drugs from communities, and disrupt organised criminal activity. According to Free State police spokesperson Sergeant Mahlomela Kareli, high-density, multidisciplinary operations conducted throughout the province betweenJuly 20-26 delivered significant results through increased police visibility, intelligence-driven operations and coordinated law enforcement action. During the week-long operation, police stopped and searched 14 115 vehicles at stop-and-search operations, vehicle checkpoints and provincial roadblocks.

Compliance inspections also formed part of the operation, with 2 784 farm labour inspections,132 formal and informal business compliance inspections, and 154 scrapyards visited by the SAPS FLASH (Firearms, Liquor and Second-Hand Goods) Unit in collaboration with stakeholder departments. Coordinated operations across all five policing districts resulted in the arrest of suspects for a range of serious offences. Police also arrested 63 suspectsfor possession of dangerous weapons, while23 suspectswere charged with the unlawful possession of ammunition.

Officers confiscated 65 rounds of live ammunition during the operation. Drug enforcement operations led to the arrest of 90 suspects for possession of drugs and six for dealing in drugs. Police confiscated quantities of mandrax, crystal methamphetamine and cocaine.

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Three suspects were also arrested in connection with vehicle hijackings. Detective tracing teams operating across the province arrested 321 suspects, including several wanted persons with outstanding warrants of arrest. One of the major successes of the operation came after members of the Bloemfontein Flying Squad acted on intelligence regarding a truck suspected of transporting stolen copper cable from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg.

The heavy vehicle was intercepted and its 43-year-old driver arrested. The suspect allegedly told police he had travelled from Wadeville in Germiston to collect recyclable material from a scrapyard in Oranjesig. The truck was escorted to Bainsvlei Police Station, where technicians from Telkom and Eskom confirmed that the load included stolen copper cable valued at approximately R300 000.

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