Operation Shanela has resulted in the arrest of 967 suspects across the Free State last week, highlighting the ongoing efforts of law enforcement in the province.

Provincial police reported 50 arrests for drug possession, nine for rape, four for murder, and 14 for attempted murder. Additionally, 28 individuals were apprehended for possessing dangerous weapons.

In the realm of property crimes, 21 suspects were detained, while 45 were arrested for malicious damage to property. An alarming 107 people were arrested for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Notable incidents included the arrest of three suspects in Virginia on 26 June 2024, following Crime Intelligence information about suspicious vehicles near petrol stations. An illegal firearm was found in one vehicle. Another vehicle, a VW Golf, was tracked and found with a firearm, leading to the arrest of three occupants. In a separate vehicle stop, three more suspects were arrested after a 9mm firearm was discovered.

In Rouxville, a foreign national was apprehended at a roadblock when police found boxes of illicit cigarettes worth an estimated R12 million in his bakkie. In Springfontein, highway patrol officers stopped two males, aged 23 and 25, on the N1 and discovered dagga worth an estimated R1.7 million in their vehicle.

In Batho, an illegal foreign national was arrested for possessing an unlicensed firearm after police received a tip-off linking him to a tuckshop robbery.

Operation Shanela's detective tracing efforts led to over 215 suspects, lacking legal documentation to be in South Africa, being handed over to Home Affairs for further processing.

Additionally, 33 individuals were arrested for driving under the influence, and 253 drivers were fined for contraventions of the Traffic Act.

The operations continue across the province, with police urging community members to provide information on crimes and assist in identifying suspects.