Police pounce on Tshwane criminals in weekend operation
Operation Shanela took to the streets of Tshwane on Saturday and Sunday evening and arrested more than 300 suspects for possession of stolen vehicles and unlicensed firearms and various other offences.
During the weekend’s Shanela operations, police from various law enforcement agencies arrested over 300 suspects in Tshwane.
Their crimes ranged from possessing unlicensed firearms, stolen vehicles and drugs to being undocumented foreigners.
The operations were executed through the coordination of different agencies including the departments of Home Affairs and Labour, Gauteng Traffic and Tshwane metro police.
According to Colonel Mavela Masondo, the operations were focused in Soshanguve and Rietgat and were commanded by the new provincial commissioner Tommy Mthombeni alongside acting Tshwane district commissioner Brigadier Samuel Thine.
“The collective was successful in arresting suspects who committed offences that included possession of unlicensed firearms, possession of stolen vehicles, dealing in drugs, and undocumented foreign nationals,” said Masondo.
The detectives also tracked down suspects who were on the run.
“The detectives were able to trace and arrest more than 260 suspects who have been on the run after committing serious and violent crimes that include gender-based violence,” said Masondo.
During the operations, law enforcement teams also held roadblocks to enforce traffic laws and protect road users, targeting areas known for high crime rates, hijackings, robberies and assaults.
They recovered two stolen vehicles, and a firearm, and impounded a BMW with illegal modifications.
“To ensure that motorists are safe and abide by traffic rules, the team held roadblocks at main roads where two stolen vehicles and a firearm were recovered,” said Masondo
Masondo explained that a BMW with a tampered engine was impounded.
According to Masondo, similar operations in other regions of Gauteng led to the arrest of an additional 780 suspects for crimes such as murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, car hijacking and assault.
“This brings the total number of arrests during these operations to over 1 100. The success of these operations is a testament to the hard work and dedication of law enforcement officials across the province,” he said.
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