Over 13,000 Arrested During 1st Week of January 2025, KZN and Eastern Cape Lead in Violent Crimes

• The South African Police Service arrested over 13,000 suspects during the first week of January 2025
• 1,743 of those arrested were wanted for serious and violent crimes, with Eastern Cape and KZN having the most
• 1,337 suspects were arrested for possession of drugs, with the majority of those arrests happening in the Western Cape

The South African Police Service has started 2025 with a statement of intent.

Thanks to Operation Shanela, SAPS started the new year by arresting thousands of wanted criminals.

All the arrests were made between 30 December 2024 and 5 January 2025.

13,105 suspects nabbed during Operation Shanela

According to police spokesperson Lt-Col Vincent Mukhathi, police conducted numerous crime-fighting activities during the operation, including roadblocks, tracing wanted suspects, stop-and-searches, and high visibility patrols. These were conducted in all nine provinces.

As a result, 13,105 suspects were arrested during the nationwide operation. SAPS also recovered 125 illegal firearms during the period.

Read also

Limpopo man arrested in Giyani for robbery and hijacking, 33-year-old nabbed after year on the run

Approximately 1,646 suspects were arrested for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, while 1,166 illegal foreigners were arrested. A total of 1,743 suspects were wanted for serious and violent crimes such as attempted murder, murder, business and house robberies, as well as rape.

Lt-Col Mukhathi added that approximately 142 of those suspects were arrested for murder, with the majority coming from the Eastern Cape. The province is known for its high murder rate, and on 31 December 2024, two teenagers from Gqeberha allegedly murdered a Gelvandale police officer.

On 1 January 2025, the province was again in the news when a man handed himself over to police for allegedly murdering his girlfriend on New Year's Day.

KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape are hotspots for crimes

Of the 1,743 arrested, 81 were arrested for attempted murder, with KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) accounting for most of them, while 241 were arrested for rape. KZN accounted for 119 of the arrests.

Read also

Youngsters arrested for robbing Uber driver on Christmas Eve, group found hiding in Mitchells Plain

In total, more than 500 people were arrested for murder and attempted murder in December in the province. KZN also accounted for most of the cases of possession of illegal firearms, as 126 suspects were arrested across the country.

Police also noted that 473 alleged drug dealers were nabbed, with 1,337 arrested for possession of drugs. The majority of these arrests were made in the Western Cape.

SAPS deploys 2,699 police officers

In a related article, the SAPS deployed 2,699 police officers, fresh from the academy, ahead of the 2024 festive season.

A total of 500 extra officers were deployed to KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, provinces considered crime hotspots.

Briefly News reported that the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, noted that police successfully shut down unlicensed liquor premises.

Source: Briefly News