A total of 308 wanted suspects were arrested during a track-and-trace operation conducted as part of Operation Shanela II across the Free State.
According to Free State police spokesperson Thabo Covane, the suspects were wanted for a range of serious offences, including rape, murder, attempted murder and assault.
“The operation led to the arrest of 22 suspects wanted in connection with rape cases, 10 suspects for sexual offences, seven suspects linked to murder cases, 11 for attempted murder, and 67 for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm,” said Covane.
The arrested suspects are expected to appear in various courts across the province.
In addition to the wanted suspects, police arrested a further 1 015 suspects for various offences during the province-wide operation.
As part of the high-density crime prevention initiative, police conducted:
• 5 350 high-visibility patrols
• 13 227 stop-and-search operations
• 645 inspections at licensed liquor premises
• 147 compliance inspections at second-hand goods dealers
• 56 inspections at scrapyards and recycling facilities
• 76 visits to spaza shops and informal businesses
• 2 831 farm visits conducted in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and the Department of Labour (DOL)
Police also confiscated 703 grams of tik (crystal meth) and 59 Mandrax tablets during the operation. “The team further confiscated 950.68 litres of alcoholic beverages, 108 packets of tobacco, and 305 kilograms of suspected stolen copper cable,” Covane added.
Operation Shanela II will continue with weekly deployments targeting identified crime hotspots and areas of concern throughout the Free State.
Compiled by Clement Matroos
