SAPS

29 October 2024

Operation Shanela nets over 15 000 suspects

Location: News

Operation Shanela nets over 15 000 suspects

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has arrested 15 298 suspects through Operation Shanela.

The arrests were made between Monday, 21 October and Sunday, 27 October. The recorded arrests are 2 479 more than the previous week.

Operation Shanela includes tracking operations, roadblocks, high visibility patrols, stop and searches, as well as tracing of wanted suspects.

All Shanela operations are led by the Provincial Commissioner of each province.

The following arrests were made:

3 015 wanted suspects were arrested, representing 1 042 more wanted suspects behind bars than the previous week. These suspects were wanted for various crimes such as murder, attempted murder, rape, business and house robberies.
146 suspects were arrested for murder. The majority of these suspects were arrested in the Eastern Cape (37), followed by Gauteng (33) and the Western Cape (30).
74 suspects were arrested for attempted murder.
213 suspects were arrested for rape. KwaZulu-Natal arrested the majority of these suspects (89 arrests).
1 380 suspects were arrested for assault GBH [grievous bodily harm] during this period.
197 drug dealers were arrested.
1 314 suspects were arrested for being in possession of drugs, with 646 of these suspects being arrested in the Western Cape.
123 suspects were arrested for being in the illegal possession of firearms. The majority of these suspects were arrested in the Western Cape (36), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (27) and Eastern Cape (24).
492 suspects were arrested for illegally dealing in liquor, with Mpumalanga arresting 124, while KwaZulu-Natal arrested 123 suspects.
478 drivers were arrested for drunken driving. The majority of these suspects were arrested in Gauteng (110), followed by the Western Cape (89).

Under recoveries and confiscations, police registered the following successes:

132 firearms were confiscated in the past week; 26 handguns were confiscated during police operations in the Western Cape; 23 were confiscated in KwaZulu-Natal, while 19 were confiscated in the Eastern Cape.
3 443 rounds of ammunition were confiscated.
78 hijacked and stolen vehicles were also recovered, which is 21 more vehicles recovered during the previous week’s operations.

Highlights of major takedowns and other successes include the following:

Police in Gauteng arrested a 23-year-old Mozambican national following the rape and murder of six-year-old Amantle Samane in Orlando East, Soweto on Monday, 21 October 2024. The suspect made his first appearance before the Protea Magistrates’ Court last week.
The Ministry of Police officially signed a Cooperation Agreement with the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government and eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, the last metro to join the collaborative initiative. This highlights the commitment between SAPS, the provincial government and eThekwini Metro to enhance safety and security within the region.
A prosecution-guided, multi-disciplinary operation, led by the Northern Cape Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit, has resulted in the arrest of nine suspects. These suspects were arrested in Gauteng and the North West provinces, respectively. The syndicate is alleged to be involved in dealing with unpolished diamonds and fraud.
Police seized over 6 000 counterfeit items, worth more than R3 million, during an integrated takedown operation in the Johannesburg CBD on Friday, 25 October 2024. Among the items seized were pharmaceuticals, clothing, bags, watches and perfume.
Police in KwaZulu-Natal arrested one suspect and are still searching for at least five others in connection with the killing of four people and the attempted murder of one person in Nyezane, Estcourt, on Sunday afternoon, 27 October 2024.

SAPS says police will continue with their operations by asserting the authority of the State to ensure the safety and security of all South Africans and visitors to the country. – SAnews.gov.za

Edwin
Tue, 10/29/2024 - 09:12

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29 October 2024

Police festive season operations in full swing

Location: News

Police festive season operations in full swing

The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola, says the police’s festive season operations are in full swing in all provinces.

“The work of organised crime syndicates is being dealt a blow, and we remain hard at work in increasing the speed with which we proactively deal with criminals,” Masemola said at a briefing in Pretoria on Monday.

His remarks come as the country approaches the holiday season in December.

Masemola said through ongoing crime combatting high-density operations, known as Operation Shanela, police have arrested over 900 000 suspects since its inception in May 2023.

Through Operation Shanela, police have seized and confiscated illegal firearms, which are being used in serious and violent crimes across the country.

“Just this past week, 132 firearms were seized and in the previous week, 138 firearms were seized. From April 2024 to date, police have seized more than 4 400 firearms during operations across the country.

“We continue to stamp the police’s authority through increased police visibility, coordinated bold and decisive law enforcement operations and most importantly, improved community participation in the fight against crime,” he said.

Masemola commended the overwhelming support and improved active citizenry displayed by South Africans from all walks of life in assisting the men and women in blue with information to track down wanted criminals.

“We have witnessed increased cooperation and unity displayed in working closely with communities on various cases, including the recent arrest of six suspects linked to the Lusikisiki mass shooting, and the arrest of Phethe Simiao, a Mozambican national, who has been arrested in connection with the rape and murder of six-year-old Amantle Samane.

“I take this opportunity, on behalf of the men and women in blue, to thank our communities, the social media community and media houses for playing their role in broadcasting and sharing information rapidly with all South Africans. This ultimately led police in the right direction to apprehend these cold-hearted criminals,” Masemola said.

He called on communities to continue to work with the police, saying more criminals, more firearms and more drugs will be seized.

“The ongoing mass shootings in provinces like the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Western Cape are a concern, and require us, as the police, to ramp up our efforts to put a stop to these shootings that are often perpetuated with illegal, unlicensed and high caliber firearms.

“These recent incidents have seen us constantly refining our crime combatting strategies. It is encouraging that in most, if not all, mass shootings, arrests have been made,” Masemola said.

He said their operational focus remains on the tracing of known wanted criminals, and the detection and removal of illegal firearms from the streets.

“In all these areas, we have beefed up and reinforced deployments, and also deployed specialised teams, inclusive of intelligence and organised crime detectives.

“It is important to note that these four provinces -- the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Eastern Cape -- are always prioritised, and always receive the largest number of newly trained police officers each year to heighten and increase police visibility in a bid to reduce incidents such as these,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

Edwin
Mon, 10/28/2024 - 15:23

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28 October 2024

Gardener Mauled to Death by Former Lottery Boss’s Guard Dog

Location: News

Stevens Mabuse, who worked for Phillemon Letwaba, was killed by a pit bull when he came home in the early hours

25 October 2024

Police Committee Chairperson Says Increase in Mass Killings Highlights Inadequacies With Crime Intelligence

Location: News

Republic of South Africa: The Parliament
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The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Mr Ian Cameron, is concerned by the continued increase in mass murders in South Africa, which highlights inadequacies within the South African Police's Crime Intelligence unit. The Chairperson's comments follow the two recent mass killings in the Western Cape, where seven people were killed in Bishop Lavis on Thursday and five people were killed in Atlantis.

“The increase in mass killings in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape point to the need to capacitate the crime intelligence services both with funding and human capital that will enable the unit to proactively prevent these crimes from happening. The committee has consistently stressed the need to properly capacitate the intelligence and detective units as they are potent tools that can be used in the fight against crime,” Mr Cameron said.

Also, the committee has reiterated the need for collaboration with provincial and local governments to ensure that these spheres put in place focused strategies to deal with emerging crime trends in their communities. “It is for this reason that we wholeheartedly welcomed the intentions of the Draft National Policing Policy, which highlighted the importance of collaboration, and these murders provide an opportunity to share investigative capacity. Also, the formation and training of specialised units to tackle crimes like gang violence in the Western Cape should be considered,” Mr Cameron said.

The Chairperson said the increase in mass murders provides an opportunity to implement several Safer Cities initiatives, which were signed between the SAPS and provincial and local governments. “The signed agreement has established the necessary framework to fight crime. It is now time to activate the plans and ensure that criminality is confronted head-on,” the Chairperson said.

Mr Cameron also called for the SAPS to leave no stone unturned in investigating these mass shootings and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

25 October 2024

Police Officers and Botanist Accused in Poaching Fraud Case

Location: News

Officer who headed endangered species unit says it’s a “wild-goose chase”

25 October 2024

Firearms recovered in Sabie

Location: News

Firearms recovered in Sabie

An AK-47, a .38 Special Revolver and live ammunition have been seized in a police operation in Mpumalanga.

The firearms and ammunition were seized in Operation Safer Festive Season/Vala Umgodi on Thursday.

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the discovery was made following intelligence received about suspected illegal mining activities, thanks to members from the Lydenburg K9 Unit, in collaboration with Phoenix Security members.

The information indicated that suspected illegal miners were somehow involved in a gun battle in Sabie.

Upon receiving some details, law enforcement agencies swiftly coordinated a plan to decisively deal with the situation.

As the team approached the area, the group of about 20 suspected miners began to retreat, dropping the two firearms and a large quantity of ammunition, as they ran to avert arrest.

“It was during this time when the astute members confiscated the said items. An inquiry case has been opened and the suspects involved in the incident are still at large.

"The SAPS has since launched a manhunt to locate and bring these individuals to justice,” SAPS said.

Mpumalanga Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, has reassured the public that the police, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, are committed to maintaining increased visibility in areas where illegal mining activities persist.

The General further emphasized that efforts to address illegal mining will continue until all illegal mining activities come to a halt.

"We... will continue with these operations and even exert more pressure while assessing our impact," said Mkhwanazi. – SAnews.gov.za

Edwin
Fri, 10/25/2024 - 10:02

108 views

24 October 2024

Hundreds Homeless After KZN Demolitions

Location: News

KwaDukuza municipality gets court order, demolishes 50 shacks

24 October 2024

Police Minister Confirms Thabo Bester Was Detained and Then Released While He Was on the Run

Location: News

Bester showed police a fraudulent ID when he was stopped for speeding

24 October 2024

Suspect arrested for alleged rape, murder of a six-year old Soweto girl

Location: News

Suspect arrested for alleged rape, murder of a six-year old Soweto girl

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has thanked the community of Soweto, journalists, media houses and all social media users for assisting in to track down a man who was wanted for the alleged rape and murder of a six-year old girl in Soweto on Monday.

The suspect was arrested last night and is expected to appear in court soon.

The little girl, Amantle Samane, was found murdered and allegedly raped at a shack about 650 metres from her home on Monday.

Her family last saw her alive when she and other children were playing in the street.

A day after her death, Gauteng police announced that they were searching for Pethe Sara Simiao to assist them in their investigation into the murder.

According to the police, the suspect has been identified as being from Mozambique.

An immigration status check with the Home Affairs Department revealed that Simiao was living illegally in South Africa. – SAnews.gov.za

Edwin
Thu, 10/24/2024 - 10:18

5 views

23 October 2024

Mchunu commends law enforcement for swift arrest of armed robbers

Location: News

Mchunu commends law enforcement for swift arrest of armed robbers

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has commended law enforcement’s swift response to an armed robbery at a jewellery shop at Clearwater Mall, in Roodepoort.

“The swift action of all law enforcement agencies has once again shown our commitment to safeguarding our communities. This incident demonstrates that we are on the right path, as evidenced by the quick turnaround time in apprehending the suspects,” Mchunu said on Tuesday.

The Minister commended the efforts of the SAPS’ Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department and private security teams for their swift and coordinated response that led to the arrest of seven suspects.

The operation, which also saw the recovery of four firearms, reflects the exceptional collaboration between the police and private security companies in combatting crime.

Location: News

The trial into the death in custody of Regan Naidoo in 2018 has still not begun, this time because of a complaint before the Legal Practice Council