FREE STATE – The Police seized nine firearms, drugs and more than 10 800 litres of alcohol during Operation Shanela II across five Free State districts during October.

A total of 1 032 suspects have been arrested and nine firearms seized during high-density police operations across the Free State as law enforcement agencies intensify efforts to combat crime ahead of the festive season.

The operations, conducted under the Safer Festive Season action plan as part of Operation Shanela II, also resulted in the confiscation of drugs, ammunition, dangerous weapons and more than 10 800 litres of alcoholic beverages.

The multi-sectoral operations were carried out across all five districts of the Free State, targeting crime hotspots and focusing on crime prevention, law enforcement and compliance inspections.

The South African Police Service (SAPS), South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Department of Home Affairs, provincial traffic officials, the Border Management Authority and several other government departments and law enforcement agencies participated in the operations.

More than 1 000 suspects arrested

The 1,032 arrests included suspects wanted for serious and violent crimes.

According to the police, the arrests comprised:

• Nine suspects for murder.
• 39 for attempted murder.
• 32 for rape.
• One for attempted rape.
• 165 for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
• 96 for common assault.
• 13 for aggravated robbery.
• Three for business robbery.
• One for house robbery.
• Nine for burglary at business premises.
• 25 for burglary at residential premises.
• 48 for malicious damage to property.
• 49 for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• 56 for being in the country illegally.
• 345 for other crimes.

The arrests formed part of an intensified policing campaign aimed at improving public safety and addressing criminal activity during the festive season.

Firearms, drugs and alcohol confiscated

Law enforcement teams recovered or confiscated a range of items during the operations, including firearms, narcotics, stolen property and potentially dangerous weapons.

The items seized included:

• Nine firearms: seven handguns and two rifles.
• 10 868.94 litres of alcohol.
• 34 rounds of ammunition.
• 47 dangerous weapons, including knives.
• 1.204kg of dagga.
• 322.527g of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as Tik.
• One gram of nyaope, also known as whoonga or wunga.
• 11 Mandrax tablets, each reportedly weighing 1.25 units, and 3.3g of Mandrax powder.
• 5.11kg of copper and copper cables.
• 2kg of precious metals, including copper, platinum and silver.
• 59 packets of tobacco products.
• 16 cellphones.
• Two computers or other computing devices, including laptops, tablets and notebooks, recorded as evidence.
• One vehicle part or accessory.
• Seven vehicles, including trailers, motorcycles, trucks, sedans and sports utility vehicles.

The recoveries formed part of efforts to disrupt criminal activity and remove illegal goods and dangerous items from circulation.

Thousands of searches and patrols conducted

The integrated teams carried out extensive searches, patrols and tracing operations across the province.

During the operations, officers searched 498 premises, 48,556 people and 13,576 vehicles. They also conducted 940 stop-and-search actions and 338 tracking operations.

Other operational activities included:

• 4 811 patrols.
• 403 high-visibility patrols.
• 214 vehicle checkpoints.
• 16 roadblocks.
• 196 operations to trace wanted suspects.
• The closure of 14 unlicensed liquor premises.

These activities were aimed at increasing police visibility, identifying wanted suspects, detecting illegal activities and strengthening crime prevention in identified hotspots.

Compliance inspections target businesses and farms

The operations also included inspections of licensed liquor outlets, second-hand dealers, scrapyards, businesses and other establishments to ensure compliance with relevant legislation.

The inspections covered:

• 570 licensed liquor premises.
• 154 second-hand dealers, with six notices issued.
• 71 scrapyards and recycling businesses.
• 17 inspections at non-official institutions, including private security and firearm dealers.
• 34 formal hospitality and retail businesses inspected for labour law compliance.
• 94 informal businesses, including spaza shops, inspected for labour law compliance.
• 2 377 farm visits conducted with the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Labour.
• 37 mine areas visited.
• Four enforcement actions under the Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act (SASREA) and the Regulation of Gatherings Act.

The inspections formed part of a broader effort to enforce the law, identify non-compliance and address potential criminal activity in different sectors.

Operation Shanela II to continue across the Free State

The police said planned Safer Festive Season operations would continue in identified crime hotspots across the province.

The targeted areas include the Fezile Dabi, Lejweleputswa, Thabo Mofutsanyana and Xhariep districts, as well as Mangaung Metro.

Operation Shanela II forms part of ongoing efforts to increase police visibility, apprehend suspects and strengthen partnerships between law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders during the festive season.

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