A suspected housebreaker shot during a burglary, an alleged firearm offender, five suspected drug dealers and a fraud suspect were among those arrested across iLembe last week.

The latest incident occurred late on Saturday night in the Magwaza area of Upper Tongaat, where a 21-year-old man was shot in both legs after allegedly breaking into a home.

According to Umhlali Saps spokesperson Sergeant Makhosi Khumalo, the homeowner and his wife were awakened by suspicious noises shortly before midnight.

“The homeowner allegedly encountered a suspect inside the residence and fired two shots as the suspect attempted to flee,” said Khumalo.

The injured man was taken to a KwaDukuza hospital, where he remains under police guard.

Police have opened an attempted murder case while the circumstances surrounding the shooting are investigated.

Earlier on Saturday, Umhlali police arrested a 24-year-old foreign national in Driefontein after acting on information that he was allegedly in possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

iLembe District police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ndlovu said officers recovered a handgun and three rounds of live ammunition during the operation.

The firearm, which is registered to another person, will undergo ballistic testing to determine whether it may have been used in crimes.

On Thursday, police arrested five suspected drug dealers in Umhlali, Etete and Shakaskraal. Officers seized 119 whoonga capsules and 89 rocks of crack cocaine during the operation.

In a separate case, Ndwedwe police arrested a 37-year-old woman after she allegedly falsely declared her 15-year-old child dead in an attempt to claim R8 000 from a funeral policy. Investigators later established that the child was alive despite a death certificate having been issued.

Police also reported progress in violent crime investigations in Sundumbili.

A 44-year-old man was arrested in connection with an attempted murder case after allegedly stabbing a 29-year-old man multiple times during a domestic dispute in Isithebe on June 6.

In a separate incident, police arrested a 31-year-old murder suspect just four hours after a 34-year-old woman died following a stabbing in Sundumbili.

The suspects are expected to appear in various courts across the district as investigations continue.