Over 14 000 suspects have been arrested in police operations across the country.
In Operation Shanela activities, which ran from 21 – 27 July 2025, a total of 14 273 suspects were arrested, including 2 081 wanted suspects implicated in serious and violent crimes, such as business and house robberies, car hijackings, murder, rape and attempted murder.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), 172 suspects were arrested for murder, while 138 individuals were arrested for attempted murder, 170 for rape and 1 598 others for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH).
A further 324 suspects were arrested for drug dealing, 1 376 were held for the possession of drugs. A total of 119 suspects were held for the illegal possession of firearms, with 45 from KwaZulu-Natal, while 672 were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Police also recovered and confiscated 140 firearms, 1 720 rounds of ammunition and 81 hijacked or stolen vehicles.
“The South African Police Service remains resolute in its nationwide operations to combat and prevent criminal activities, threatening public safety and sabotaging South Africa’s economic infrastructure,” SAPS said on Tuesday.