Pretoria: The South African Police Service (SAPS) has apprehended 224 suspects for rape and five suspects for attempted rape during nationwide operations conducted between 5 and 11 May. Among those arrested are a SAPS trainer, accused of raping a trainee at a SAPS academy, and a 54-year-old Inkosi from KwaZulu-Natal, charged with the alleged rape of an 18-year-old female.
According to South African Government News Agency, SAPS is continuing its efforts to confiscate illegal firearms from communities. Each week, SAPS seizes no less than 100 firearms across the country. In the past seven days, 152 illegal firearms were seized. Mpumalanga police accounted for the highest number with 31, followed by the Western Cape with 19.
A total of 148 murder suspects were arrested, with significant numbers in the Western Cape and Gauteng, where 38 and 36 arrests were made, respectively. Additionally, 128 suspects were detained for attempted murder nationwide.
A substantial number of suspects, 2,841, were arrested for drug possession, with 1,700 of these arrests occurring in the Western Cape. Police seized 9,492 mandrax tablets, with a significant portion, 5,839 tablets, confiscated in the Western Cape.
In matters related to illegal liquor trade, 871 suspects were arrested, 408 of whom were apprehended in KwaZulu-Natal. Meanwhile, 835 individuals were detained for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, predominantly in Gauteng and the Western Cape. In addition, 256 suspects were arrested for drug dealing, with 74 arrests taking place in the Western Cape.
SAPS efforts also led to the recovery of 86 hijacked and stolen vehicles. In addition, 74 explosives, primarily used in illegal mining and cash-in-transit robberies, were seized by North West police.
Significant arrests were also made across various regions. In KwaZulu-Natal, police fatally shot five double-murder suspects in Hammarsdale, wanted for the murder of a couple the previous week. In Mpumalanga, five suspects were detained in connection with the disappearance and murder of journalist Aserie Ndlovu and his partner, Zodwa Mdhluli.
Moreover, two University of Johannesburg students were arrested for the alleged murder of a Soweto pupil, while a Crime Intelligence-driven operation in the Eastern Cape led to the arrest of two suspects involved in hijackings and cash-in-transit robberies. Furthermore, Limpopo police arrested five suspects for extortion cases, following the intervention of Operation Vala Umgodi in the Sekhukhune District at a mine in Driekop.