Picture: One of the suspects arrested during Operation Shanela/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
More than 112 suspects were arrested for various crimes during Operation Shanela over the weekend. The suspects were nabbed for crimes such as murder, attempted murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, illicit mining, human trafficking, illegal possession of protected plants, malicious property damage, dealing and possession of drugs as well as undocumented illegal immigrants.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Lieutenant Col, Sergio Kock said more than 34 Vehicle Check Points (VCPs) and 8 roadblocks were conducted across the province. Kock further said 1489 actions were also executed and 30 premises were searched. He added that, 2376 vehicles and 4406 persons were stopped and searched through the execution of 655 high visibility patrols.
“Operation Shanela, which is a multi-disciplinary high-density maneuver, continues to gain strides in clamping down on crime in hotspot areas. This was evident during disruptive actions, which commenced on 7 until 10 December 2023 with a continued focus on the reduction of contact and violent crimes in various hotspots.
“Actions and police activities executed during the operations included VCPs), stop and searches, roadblocks, foot and vehicle patrols, compliance inspections, and mine visits. Compliance inspections were executed at second-hand dealers and liquor premises. Mines, farms, formal and informal businesses were also visited,” said Kock.
He said 44 daily wanted suspects were traced and brought to book for various crimes and for not attending court and contravention of court orders. Kock said the police confiscated several alcoholic beverages, drugs, non-ferrous metal items, and cash that is believed to be the proceeds of crime.
Meanwhile, the Northern Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, commended all role players for their unabated efforts and reaffirmed the importance of community involvement in robustly fighting crime. Otola also encouraged the community to continue being the eyes and ears of the police.
The Guardian 