Following Etwatwa SAPS’ weaker performance in key crime categories, including murder, common assault and carjacking, during the last quarter, the Ekurhuleni District SAPS conducted an Operation Shanela in the policing precinct on July 16.

Led by acting Ekurhuleni district commissioner Brigadier Cyril Nkuna on behalf of Major General Anna Sithole, the multidisciplinary operation targeted crime hotspots in Etwatwa and Dawn Park.

“We are here to enforce the law and make the place safer,” Nkuna said.

The operation formed part of a district-wide crime-combating initiative that saw more than 210 suspects arrested between July 15 and 16.

Detectives accounted for 180 of the arrests during suspect-tracing operations across the district, including 106 suspects linked to contact crimes, four for property-related crimes and 63 for other serious offences.

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In Etwatwa and Dawn Park, police arrested 24 undocumented foreign nationals, four suspects for possession of drugs, one suspect for dealing in drugs, one for possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, and four for possession of illicit cigarettes.

Three illegal shebeens were also shut down, while traffic officers issued 16 fines totalling R6 500.
Crime Intelligence members made a further breakthrough by arresting four more suspects for drug possession and recovering another unlicensed firearm.

As part of the operation, Social Crime Prevention officers distributed crime-awareness pamphlets to residents in Villa Liza, while a community imbizo was held at the Emaphupheni Sports Ground to address policing concerns raised by residents.

Nkuna thanked SAPS members, other law enforcement agencies and stakeholders for their contribution to the operation, saying their collective efforts were making an impact in the fight against crime.

Also Read: Operation Shanela yields arrests at Etwatwa