More boots on the ground: 325 nabbed in Northern Cape crime blitz

WITH more boots on the ground, the Northern Cape police have intensified their crackdown on priority crimes with a high-density operation that saw over 300 arrests in just one week.

Operation Shanela, a province-wide initiative aimed at curbing criminal activities, ran from Monday, March 3, to Sunday, March 9. Officers carried out targeted operations, including roadblocks, stop-and-search procedures, vehicle checkpoints, and compliance inspections.

Provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Molefi Shemane said the initiative focused on both crime prevention and law enforcement, with officers deployed across all five districts. The police conducted foot and vehicle patrols, traced wanted suspects, shut down unlicensed liquor outlets, and engaged with communities through awareness campaigns and policing board meetings.

During the operation, 325 suspects were arrested for a range of serious offences, including murder, attempted murder, rape, assault, robbery, housebreaking, theft, and malicious damage to property. Arrests were also made for drunk driving, illegal immigration, and illicit mining.

Authorities set up 46 vehicle checkpoints and 10 roadblocks, stopping 2,453 vehicles and searching 5,026 people. Officers also visited second-hand dealerships, schools, farms, formal and informal businesses, and mines as part of their compliance inspections and crime prevention efforts.

Confiscated items included stolen copper cables, dangerous weapons, thousands of litres of illicit alcohol, drugs, and cash suspected to be linked to criminal activities.

The provincial commissioner of the Northern Cape, Lieutenant-General Koliswa Otola, reiterated that Operation Shanela will continue with a zero-tolerance approach to crime across the province, ensuring that communities remain safe through ongoing law enforcement initiatives. 

With a stronger police presence on the streets, Northern Cape residents can expect continued visibility and decisive action against crime, she said.