Picture: Police destroying home-made beer/Supplied
By AGISANANG SCUFF
14 September 2026 – The police in the Northern Cape arrested 201 suspects for various serious offences during intensified Operation Shanela II operations conducted across the province from 7 until 13 September 2026. The high-density, multi-disciplinary operations were conducted across all five districts in collaboration with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Department of Home Affairs, Department of Health, Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison, Department of Social Development, Department of Small Business Development, as well as other government departments and law enforcement agencies.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Thabo Litabe said as part of the intensified crime prevention and enforcement operations, 7 223 persons and 3 126 vehicles were stopped and searched. Litabe said compliance inspections were also conducted at licensed liquor outlets, second-hand goods dealers, scrapyards, formal and informal businesses, mines, government institutions and other identified establishments.
“A total of 37 unlicensed liquor outlets were closed for various non-compliance violations. The operations resulted in arrests for a range of serious offences, including possession of drugs and illegal firearms, illegal dealing in liquor, dealing in drugs, murder, business and residential robbery and assault with intent to cause Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH).
“This includes common assault, attempted murder, malicious damage to property, burglary at business and residential premises, contraventions of the Immigration Act, as well as other serious crimes,” he said.
Litabe further said the police and participating law enforcement partners also confiscated thousands of litres of liquor, cellular phones, copper cables, dangerous weapons, drugs and dagga, as well as one vehicle during the operations.
Meanwhile, the Northern Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, commended SAPS members and all participating departments and law enforcement agencies for their commitment and continued support in strengthening the fight against crime. Otola added that sustained, high-density and multidisciplinary operations remain a critical component of the SAPS Reset Agenda, particularly in strengthening police visibility, disrupting criminal networks and reclaiming communities from criminal elements.
“We further acknowledge the invaluable contribution of communities, whose cooperation and information remain critical to the success of policing operations and the prevention and detection of crime. The successful outcomes of these operations demonstrate our unwavering commitment to intensifying the fight against crime and ensuring that our communities are safe and feel safe.
“We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and government partners, as well as our communities, to disrupt criminality and ensure that justice prevails,” she said.
Otola said the Northern Cape SAPS will continue to conduct intelligence-driven and high-density operations throughout the province, targeting identified crime hotspots, wanted suspects and establishments that facilitate criminal activities.
The Guardian 