Police have saved 106 lives this week. This is the number of firearms which were seized by officers nationally over a 7-day period. At the same time, over 1,300 rounds of ammunition were confiscated during various operations.
Police have saved 106 lives this week
SAPS’ Vincent Mukhathi says police members also arrested more than 14,700 suspects in connection with a range of crimes. Lieutenant Colonel Mukhathi says these arrests stem from police actions and crime-fighting activities. This includes tracking operations, roadblocks, high-visibility patrols, stop-and-search operations, and the tracing of wanted suspects. The arrests were carried out between Monday, 30 June 2025 and Sunday, 06 July 2025.
READ MORE: SAPS Media Statements
Police take more than 14,700 suspects into custody
Lieutenant Colonel Mukhathi says the South African Police Service (SAPS) remains steadfast and resolute in combating and preventing crime through its intensified nationwide Shanela operations across the country. He says officers 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.
The SAPS effected the following arrests across the country through Operation Shanela during this period:
▶️ 2 365 wanted suspects arrested for various serious and violent crimes such as murder, attempted murder, rape, business and house robberies.
174 suspects were arrested for murder, the majority of these suspects were arrested in Western Cape 39, followed by Gauteng (33), and KwaZulu-Natal (33).
👮♂️137 suspects were arrested for attempted murder.
👮🏻♀️99 suspects were arrested for rape, Gauteng leading at 26 arrests.
👮♂️1,232 suspects were arrested for assault GBH during this period.
👮🏻♀️286 drug dealers were arrested in the past week.
👮♂️2,515 suspects were arrested for being in possession of drugs; the majority of these suspects were arrested in the Western Cape (1,392).
👮🏻♀️64 suspects were arrested for being in possession of firearms illegally.
👮♂️ 7 suspects were also arrested for human trafficking during this period.
👮🏻♀️826 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the majority of arrests in GP-229, followed WC-195, MP-156.)
Under recoveries and confiscations, police registered the following successes:
▶️ 106 firearms were confiscated in the past week.
▶️ 1,355 rounds of ammunition were also confiscated.
▶️ 37 hijacked and stolen vehicles were also recovered during this week’s operations.
Highlights of major takedowns and other successes include the following:
▶️ Eastern Cape: Police swiftly arrested six suspects after a man was stabbed to death. The same suspects stabbed an off-duty police officer in Jeffrey’s Bay.
▶️ Northern Cape: Operation Shanela II resulted in the arrest of 236 suspects for various serious and violent crimes. This includes cases of murder, attempted murder, rape, business, and house robberies.
▶️ Mpumalanga: Police arrested a 29-year-old Eswatini foreign national for dealing in dagga and seized dagga worth R1.1 million. The arrest was effected at the Waverley Port of Entry near Mayflower, on 05 July 2025.
▶️ Limpopo: On 02 July 2025, police intercepted a Scania truck and arrested two foreign nationals aged between 30 and 45 years. They were attempting to smuggle crystal meth, dagga and codeine worth R2.6 million at the Groblersbrug Port of Entry.
▶️Gauteng: Three suspected cash-in-transit robbers were fatally shot in a shootout with police and other law enforcement agencies on the N3 highway. Two stolen vehicles and two unlicensed firearms were seized.
▶️KwaZulu-Natal: Two suspects were arrested, and the other two suspects were fatally shot following a foiled cash-in-transit robbery at Msinga. Police seized two unlicensed firearms and ammunition. A Mercedes-Benz vehicle was also confiscated on 03 July 2025.
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