Pretoria: The South African Police Service (SAPS) nationwide Operation Shanela has led to the arrest of 18,822 suspects involved in multiple criminal activities, including drug trafficking and serious violent crimes. Among those apprehended were 2,739 individuals wanted for serious offenses.
According to South African Government News Agency, the week-long operations, conducted between March 16 and 22, 2026, resulted in the capture of individuals linked to various crimes such as murder, attempted murder, rape, carjacking, illegal possession of firearms, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and house and business robberies.
Significant efforts were made to dismantle drug trafficking and distribution networks across the country. Police operations during this period resulted in the arrest of 258 individuals for drug dealing and 3,107 for drug possession. The Western Cape saw the majority of drug possession arrests, with 1,933 suspects detained.
Additionally, SAPS intercepted a Volvo truck on the N17 near Oshoek, transporting over 670 kilograms of dagga. The haul, with an estimated street value of R1 million, highlights the ongoing efforts to curtail drug transportation and distribution within the country.
