Operation Shanela netted a whopping 5527 suspects for various crimes during the month of September. In addition to the arrests, 105 unlicensed firearms were recovered, including eight rifles.

These arrests and recoveries are the culmination of relentless operations conducted by various police units in specified policing precincts. One of the key objectives of Operation Shanela is to tackle areas that have shown an increase in crime.

Of the arrests in September, 1464 were for contact crimes – 730 people were arrested for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. 85 people were arrested for murder and 93 for attempted murder.

Also read: Police bust suspected drug dealer in Steadville

Those who deal in narcotics also did not escape the police radar, as a total of 921 people were arrested and drugs recovered in the process.

Police also made 51 arrests for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

The arrested suspects have appeared in various courts in the province. However, the work of the police teams in Operation Shanela does not end with the arrests and recoveries. Frantic work is ongoing behind the scenes to establish possible links with other crimes. The recovered firearms will be subjected to ballistics testing to determine if they have been used in other crimes in the country.

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