BLOEMFONTEIN – A total of 1 050 arrests were made across the Free State during multidisciplinary operations conducted under Operation Shanela II, as law-enforcement agencies continued high-density deployments across the province.

The operations involved the South African Police Service (SAPS), South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Department of Home Affairs, Department of Health, Department of Social Development, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport, South African Revenue Service (SARS) and municipal law-enforcement services.

The coordinated operations were conducted through ProvJOINTS structures across all five Free State districts.

More than 42 000 people searched

During the deployments, integrated teams conducted 5 777 foot, motor vehicle, air-to-ground and horseback patrols.

The operations also included:

• 15 roadblocks;
• 258 vehicle checkpoints;
• 1 672 stop-and-search operations;
• 42 649 people searched;
• 15 152 vehicles searched; and
• 804 premises searched.

Officials also conducted compliance operations at 739 licensed liquor premises, 135 second-hand dealers and 62 scrapyards or recycling businesses.

Teams visited 2 821 farms, while compliance inspections were conducted at firearm dealers and private security businesses, as well as formal and informal businesses.

These included 42 hotels and 126 spaza shops.

Wanted suspects among those arrested

Tracing operations by district detectives and tracking operations by the provincial team resulted in the arrest of suspects wanted for a range of serious offences.

According to the SAPS, the arrests included suspects wanted for:

• Murder: 5
• Attempted murder: 20
• Rape: 16
• Business robbery: 1
• House robbery: 3
• Robbery with aggravating circumstances: 7
• Assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm: 127

Firearms, drugs and other items confiscated

The operations also resulted in the recovery and confiscation of firearms, ammunition, drugs and other illicit goods.

Items seized included:

• 2 handguns
• 1 rifle
• 55 live rounds of ammunition
• 197.945 litres of alcoholic beverages
• 41.681kg of copper cable
• 0.566kg of dagga
• 96.869g of crystal methamphetamine
• 0.06g of whoonga
• 1 520 Mandrax tablets
• 39.186g of Mandrax powder

SAPS said the multidisciplinary operations form part of ongoing efforts to maintain law and order and strengthen the presence of the state throughout the province.

Weekly planned Operation Shanela II operations will continue across all five districts of the Free State.