Operation Shanela has arrested more than 1000 suspects in North West for different transgressions across the province.
According to a police statement, the arrests were made between Monday, 15 September 2025 and Sunday, 21 September 2025.
The operations focused on stop and searches, roadblocks, vehicle check points (VCPs), high-visibility patrols, including foot patrols, tracing wanted suspects, and visits to liquor outlets, taverns, and second-hand goods premises.
OPERATION SHANELA MAKES 1038 ARRESTS
Approximately 1038 suspects were arrested in total.
The arrested suspects include 21 for murder, 10 for robbery, 43 for rape, 275 for assault and 70 for common assault.
Additionally, 12 were arrested for burglary, 19 for illegal possession of firearms, 30 for driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs, 76 for contravention of the Immigration Act, 24 for illegal dealing in liquor and 129 for possession of drugs.
489 were circulated wanted suspects being linked to the committed crimes through forensic DNA and other leads.
“Furthermore, police confiscated 18 firearms, 82 fireworks, three vehicles, 99 rounds of ammunition, three cellular phones, tablets, laptops, liquor and a variety of drugs and tobacco products,” the SAPS statement read.
FOUR SUSPECTS ARRESTED AFTER BEING FOUND IN POSSESSION OF FIREARMS AND STOLEN VEHICLE
Four suspects were arrested after being found in possession of five unlicensed firearms, ammunition and a suspected stolen vehicle on Wednesday, 24 September 2025, in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
Police officers and a member from a vehicle tracking company were responding to a vehicle tracker activation, pointing them at a property in Uvungo, where they found the suspects.
While searching the property, police found a double-cab Ford Ranger.
Upon inspecting the vehicle, police discovered that the registration plate on the vehicle did not match the one on the license disc.
After a quick investigation, SAPS members found that the vehicle had been stolen in Phoenix during the month of August in 2025.
An AK-47 assault rifle with 106 rounds of ammunition, an R4 assault rifle with 70 rounds of ammunition, a .303 rifle with 12 live rounds of ammunition and two pistols with 22 rounds of ammunition were also found during the property search.
The four suspects were charged with being in possession of a suspected stolen vehicle, as well as unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
