KZN police secure almost 11 000 arrests in a month
The suspects were arrested for various crimes, such as murder, attempted murder, assault, rape, robbery and illegal dealing.
PERSISTENT efforts by police in KwaZulu-Natal, through Operation Shanela and day-to-day policing, has seen the arrests of 10 843 suspects and the recovery of 339 firearms with 4 667 rounds of ammunition in the month of August.
KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the province launched Operation Shanela on August 19, paving the way for waves of police operations, stop and searches, as well as well-timed vehicle checkpoints at identified parts of the province.
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“The operations, which gain momentum from Thursdays to Mondays, are capacitated by routine policing and other spontaneous operations with the sole purpose of maintaining peace, law and order and to ensure that the residents of KwaZulu-Natal are and feel safe,” he said.
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.
Netshiunda said cases of assault have been ever-increasing in the recent past, and the 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.
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“Two hundred and nine suspects were put behind bars 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. One thousand seven hundred and fifty-seven suspects were locked up for drug-related crimes and a large quantity of various drugs was seized, while 765 persons were arrested for illegal dealing in liquor,” he said.
The proactive policing also resulted in the recovery of dangerous weapons, 530 of them being knives.
“Police will remain relentless in the fight against crime, and community members are urged to continue providing the police with valuable information that often leads to the arrest of suspects and the attainment of justice,” concluded Netshiunda.
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