Police arrested 518 suspects for various crimes in Winterveldt and Loate in the north of Pretoria on August 17.
The arrests were part of Operation Shanela and the suspects faced charges related to stolen vehicles, possession of unlicensed firearms, assault, housebreaking, public drinking and armed robbery.
The operation was executed with the help of stakeholders including the departments of home affairs and labour, the Gauteng Traffic Department, Tshwane Metro Police, Community Policing Forums, crime prevention wardens and elected councillors.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Johan Van Dyk said it entailed high-visibility patrols at crime hotspots, compliance inspections, and raids on illicit liquor outlets.
He said 217 people were arrested for offences such as assault, housebreaking, public drinking, driving under the influence, and armed robbery as part of routine police actions across Tshwane.
“Twenty-nine suspects were arrested for assault, four for attempted murder, one for rape, eight for armed robbery, and 68 for gender-based violence,” said Van Dyk.
The team inspected eight liquor premises and found four to be non-compliant with the Liquor Act.
“A total of 460 820ml of liquor was confiscated and will be destroyed upon finalisation of the criminal cases,” said Van Dyk.
He said 40 undocumented foreigners were detained and will undergo deportation once the legal processes have been finalised.
“Four suspects were also arrested for possession of drugs when the police found seven zip-lock bags containing various drugs.
The police inspected 692 vehicles and searched 1 324 people.”
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