August crime crackdown: KZN police apprehend more than 13,500 suspects
Police in KZN say 13 542 suspects were arrested in August during intensified operations targeting violent crime, with community tip-offs leading to arrests for murder, rape, and armed robbery.
Image: File
KwaZulu-Natal police have arrested more than 13 500 suspects during the month of August as part of Operation Shanela and ongoing crime-fighting efforts across the province.
At least 13 542 suspects were taken into custody for various categories of crime. Police recovered 360 firearms and 8 791 rounds of ammunition.
Of the 360 firearms recovered, 301 were pistols, 23 rifles, 18 homemade guns, 13 shotguns and several semi-automatic or automatic firearm.
KZN police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, confirmed the arrests and said the operation was bolstered by routine policing activities.
“Police in KwaZulu-Natal appreciate the participation of community members in the fight against crime,” said Netshiunda.
“Majority of the suspects arrested, mostly for violent crimes such as murder, were identified by community members who tipped off police officers.”
Contact crimes contributed the highest number of arrests, with 4 007 suspects apprehended in this category alone.
Police arrested 232 people for murder, 249 for rape, and 209 for attempted murder.
Another 251 suspects were nabbed for various robbery-related crimes including aggravated robbery, house robbery, business robbery, carjacking, and attempted business robbery.
Assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm accounted for the highest number of arrests in a single crime category, with 1 915 suspects arrested. This was followed by 856 arrests for common assault.
Residential burglaries led to the arrest of 212 suspects, while 66 were arrested for business burglaries. Another 66 people were arrested for stock theft.
Police also arrested 49 suspects for theft from or out of motor vehicles, and 17 for theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles.
In addition, 381 people were arrested for malicious damage to property and eight for arson.
Liquor-related offences also saw a high number of arrests, with 1 200 people taken into custody. Of these, 695 were arrested for illegal dealing in liquor, 332 for being drunk in public, and 163 for drinking in public.
Community involvement has been credited as a key factor in the success of the operations. “Community members are encouraged to continue proving valuable information to the police by contacting the nearest police station, or by calling the Crime Stop number 08600 10111. Tip-offs can also be relayed via the MySAPS App,” Netshiunda said.
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