| 2024/08/12 |
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Media Statement BLOEMFONTEIN – Operation Shanela once again yielded great successes in the fight against crime in the Free State where 1051 people were arrested. The aim of Operation Shanela is to look for unlicensed firearms, concentrating on murder and rape cases, including newly reported cases and the tracing of wanted suspects, it also concentrated on the prevention and searching for suspects of trio crimes which include carjacking, house robberies and house breakings, the tracing of related trio crime wanted suspects and armed robberies. The actions include roadblocks at identified hotspot areas, Vehicle checkpoints (VCP) in identified hotspot areas, the setup of Semi-Permanent Checkpoints and tracing operations to search for wanted suspects. The actions were executed in collaboration with other departments, including the Department of Home Affairs, Department of Health, Department of Correctional Services, and Department of Small Businesses. With the emphasis on women’s month, the women in blue went out in numbers and contributed to the successes of these operations. In one of these operations, women from Verkeerdevlei together with women from the Department of Home Affairs, conducted an operation where the focus was compliance on tuckshops at Tshepong in Verkeerdevlei. Nine suspects, who are owners of tuckshops, were arrested for illegal immigration while one foreign national, who is a tuckshop owner, employed two women who are foreign nationals. He was given a fine under the Immigration Act and paid a fine of R15 000. Members proceeded to a vehicle checkpoint at the Verkeerdevlei Toll Gate Plaza where vehicles and persons were searched to ensure heightened police visibility. Motorists, commuters of buses and taxis were given pamphlets with crime hints. The Mangaung and Parkweg Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units conducted a tracing operation on circulated wanted suspects and accused, including other outstanding wanted suspects. In the process, they arrested three for child neglect and for being an illegal immigrant, three for rape, three suspects for sexual assault and two for child neglect, child abuse and assault common. In two of the rape cases, the suspects were circulated as wanted and were now successfully traced and arrested. In total, 353 wanted suspects were successfully traced and arrested to account for their alleged crimes. Among the 698 suspects arrested, 48 were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, 130 for being illegal immigrants, 23 for illicit mining, 22 for malicious damage to property, 132 for assault, 64 for dealing or possession of drugs and 33 for being in possession of dangerous weapons, to name a few. Ends
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