High density weekly operations continues in the Western Cape as police nets more suspects

Operation Shanela is proving to be successful with high density operations in full swing throughout the Western Cape Province. The operations saw more than 1250 suspects being arrested for various criminal offences during crime combatting operations undertaken during the week.

Of the 1250 arrests, 701 were wanted suspects of which 16 were for murders, six attempted murder, 114 for assaults with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm and an array of crimes comprising business robberies, house robberies and other crimes.

Meanwhile in other high density operations such as raids, vehicle checkpoints, roadblocks as well as stop and searches, five hundred and forty nine (549) arrests were effected in operational activities that commenced on Monday and continued into Sunday morning.

Seizures from the same high density operations were as follows:

1. Drugs seized: 1640.95 units, consisting mainly, dagga, mandrax, and tik

2. Firearms confiscated: 35

3. Ammunition: 181 rounds of different calibres

4. Liquor: 1 046 084.7 litre and

5. Dangerous weapons: 55 (knifes, panga’s, etc)

The high density integrated operations are a weekly occurrence in an effort to curb, combat and detect crime throughout the Province. The operations also address crime generators such as drugs, alcohol and illegal firearms with raids executed at illegal liquor outlets, suspected drug outlets and compliance inspections carried out at licensed liquor outlets. They are set to continue until crime levels are drastically reduced. Scores of police officials from various units and police stations are deployed to these operations on a weekly basis.

Source: South African Police Service