Close to 11,000 people have been arrested as police in KwaZulu-Natal continue to carry out sting operations across the province in the name of Operation Shanela.
Provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said 10,843 suspects have been arrested, 339 firearms have been recovered, and 4,667 rounds of ammunition have been confiscated in August.
Operation Shanela was officially launched in KZN on August 19, which paved the way for the intensification of police operations, stop and searches, as well as vehicle check points at identified parts of the province.
Netshiunda said the Shanela operations, which gain momentum from Thursdays to Mondays, are capacitated by routine policing and other spontaneous operations to keep residences safe.
"Out of the almost 11,000 suspects arrested, 3,295 of them were nabbed for contact crimes. Two hundred and forty-one of them were busted for murder, whereas 140 more suspects were nabbed in connection with cases of attempted murder.
"Cases of assault have been ever increasing in the recent past, and police’s efforts to arrest the escalation of such crimes resulted in the capture of 2,106 suspects for this category of crime, with 1,506 suspects nabbed for assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm," Netshiunda said.
He said 209 suspects were jailed for their suspected involvement in various categories of robberies.
"The fight against violence perpetrated against women and children was also intensified, and 266 suspects were arrested for rape; 1,757 suspects locked up for drug-related crimes; a large quantity of various drugs was seized; whilst 765 persons were arrested for illegal dealing in liquor," Netshiunda added.
Police have also recovered 530 knives, among other dangerous weapons.
"Police will remain relentless in a fight against crime and community members are urged to continue providing the police with valuable information that often lead to the arrest of suspects and the attainment of justice," Netshiunda said.
IOL