The sweep also netted 15 384 other suspects and hundreds more for violent crimes ranging from murder and rape to armed robbery.
Picture: iStock
Police have arrested nearly 3 000 foreign nationals in a single week for immigration violations.
The suspects were handcuffed during nationwide Shanella II operations conducted between 22 and 28 June 2026.
Foreign nationals
The sweep also netted 15 384 other suspects and hundreds more for violent crimes ranging from murder and rape to armed robbery.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said 2 884 foreign nationals from different nationalities were handcuffed in various parts of the country for contravening the Immigration Act.
“Ahead of planned national protests against illegal immigration set to take place this week, the Acting National Commissioner, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, has reaffirmed the Saps’ commitment to protect the constitutional right of citizens to protest peacefully while ensuring the safety and security of all South Africans.
“The Saps’ role is to maintain public order, protect lives and property, and act decisively against any criminality that threatens public safety,” Van Wyk said.
Other arrests
Saps’ Shanella II operations also saw 1 717 wanted suspects traced, alongside 146 murder arrests (led by KZN and Gauteng), 136 for attempted murder, 111 for rape (26 in Free State), and over 1 100 for assault grievous bodily harm (GBH).
Drug enforcement was significant, with 1 543 suspects nabbed for possession (634 in Western Cape) and 222 for dealing. Firearm offences added 102 arrests, while police seized 101 unlicensed guns, 1 160 rounds of ammunition, 620 dangerous weapons, and 46 stolen or hijacked vehicles.
Operational Highlights:
- National: A 23‑year‑old woman intercepted at OR Tambo Airport en route to Tokyo, expelled 28 cocaine‑filled capsules.
- Eastern Cape: Detective Nigel Wright’s investigation secured five life sentences plus 80 years for “Hupa” Ntisana over a 2024 shooting spree.
- Free State: 16 suspects arrested after a double business robbery at Welkom’s Goldfields Mall.
- Gauteng: Three suspects caught after a high‑speed chase on the R21, linked to armed freeway robberies.
- KwaZulu‑Natal: Two teenagers arrested for the murder of an Ethiopian shopkeeper in Matiwaneskop.
- Limpopo: Four suspects held with illicit cigarettes, a stolen vehicle, and SANDF uniform; another arrested for immigration violations.
- Mpumalanga: Seven undocumented foreign nationals arrested at an illegal alcohol plant in Ogies.
- Northern Cape: A 22‑year‑old convicted for spade assaults on his partner, sentenced after meticulous FCS investigation.
- North West: Three suspects arrested for a Kanana tavern mass shooting that killed two and injured five.
- Western Cape: Flying Squad foiled a kidnapping plot, seizing an assault rifle, pistol, ammunition, and suspect vehicles.
Police assured South Africans that law enforcement agencies “are fully prepared to safeguard the country, protect lives and property, and maintain law and order.”
