Over 1,000 people were arrested during the Northern Cape police’s week-long crime-fighting operation.
IN A SWEEPING operation aimed at curbing crime, the Northern Cape police arrested over 1,000 individuals during a week-long initiative.
Operation Shanela, a multi-disciplinary high-density effort, unfolded from March 18 to March 24, with a special focus on tackling contact and violent offences in notorious hot-spot areas.
Various police actions were executed during the operation including vehicle checkpoints (VCPs), stop and searches, foot and vehicle patrols, compliance inspections and disruptive activities to combat the smuggling of drugs and other commodities.
VCPs and roadblocks were conducted across the Province, during which 3,244 vehicles and 5,999 persons were stopped and searched.
Numerous compliance inspections at second-hand dealers, scrapyards, recyclers, private security firms, firearm dealers, formal and informal businesses, farms and mines were also executed.
A total of 216 suspects were arrested for various offences including murder, attempted murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, malicious damage to property, dealing and possession of drugs, illicit mining, being in the country illegally, possession of counterfeit goods, possession of suspected stolen stock and possession of precious metals, as well as illegal dealing in liquor that resulted in the closure of 10 liquor outlets.
A total of 871 wanted suspects were also traced and arrested by detectives for evading court appearances and contravening court orders.
The police also confiscated large volumes of alcoholic beverages and non-ferrous metal items during inspections.
Drugs with an estimated street value of R10,000 were seized at a roadblock between Askham and Upington in the ZF Mgcawu District, as well as cash that is believed to be the proceeds of crime.
The provincial commissioner of the SAPS in the Northern Cape, Lieutenant-General Koliswa Otola, said that the successes of Operation Shanela “guarantee the human rights of the Northern Cape community and the police will combat any unlawful violence against its citizens and ensure special care to victims of GBVF (gender-based violence and femicide)”.
She also invited the public to rate the police’s efforts in fighting contact crimes by participating in the “Rate Our Service” online survey to assist the police in improving services.
