Criminals who continue to defy the law were brought to book this week after a co-ordinated law-enforcement crackdown swept through parts of northern Pretoria.

The operation delivered the strong message that crime will not be tolerated as the new year unfolds.

Police spokesperson Captain Johan van Dyk said multiple law enforcement agencies acted together during a Operation Shanela deployment in the Temba and Hammanskraal precincts on January 8, resulting in the arrest of hundreds of suspects.

“This successful multidisciplinary operation yielded significant results, with the arrest of 373 suspects and the seizure of liquor during the operation,” he said.

According to Van Dyk, the success was achieved through a co-ordinated strategy under the leadership of Acting Tshwane District Commissioner Brigadier Moses Dladla, with support from various SAPS units and key partner stakeholders. These included the Departments of Home Affairs and Community Safety, TMPD, Gauteng Provincial Traffic, and local Community Policing Forums.

He explained that the operation began with detective work on Wednesday night when officers conducted suspect-tracing operations that continued into the early hours of Thursday morning.

“This phase alone resulted in 306 arrests. Among those arrested were 38 suspects for assault, one for attempted murder, two for armed robbery, and 10 for rape.”

Van Dyk stated that the operation also resulted in the arrest of 126 people accused of gender-based violence.

Following the tracing phase, high-visibility policing was rolled out through roadblocks, inspections, and patrols aimed at enhancing community safety and enforcing legislation.

“Officers searched 502 people and 341 vehicles, while 31 vehicles were verified to confirm that they were not stolen. 44 undocumented immigrants were arrested during the operation and handed over to immigration officials for further processing,” he confirmed.

Liquor compliance also came under scrutiny, with Van Dyk stating that 24 liquor outlets were inspected during the operation.

Of these, 10 were closed and fined for contravening the Liquor Act. Police also confiscated liquor and seized one gambling machine.

In addition, 13 second-hand goods dealerships were inspected, and all were found to be compliant with the Second-Hand Goods Act.

“Traffic enforcement formed another key component, with traffic authorities issuing 146 AARTO infringement notices amounting to R68 300 for various Road Traffic Act violations. Ninety-five vehicles were also inspected for unroadworthiness during the operation.”

Targeted patrols were also conducted in 17 identified hotspot areas, which led to the tracing and arrest of additional wanted suspects.

Van Dyk said these arrests included one suspect for attempted murder, one for rape, three for assault, and one person for contravening a protection order.

Dladla expressed his appreciation to all the agencies that were involved in these operations for their continued commitment to creating safer communities across Pretoria.

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