LIMPOPO – More than 2 000 suspects were arrested during high-density police operations across Limpopo, with 38 people arrested for rape and 10 for robbery with aggravating circumstances.

SAPS arrested a total of 2 084 suspects during operations conducted between October 19 and 25.

The operations, carried out with other law-enforcement agencies, targeted violent crime, drug-related offences, illegal firearms, unlawful liquor trading and wanted suspects.

Key arrests

According to police, the arrests included:

• 5 for murder
• 9 for attempted murder
• 38 for rape
• 17 for other sexual offences
• 1 for sexual assault
• 10 for robbery with aggravating circumstances
• 20 for robbery with weapons other than firearms
• 17 for common robbery
• 170 for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm
• 122 for common assault
• 118 for drug-related offences
• 62 for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• 277 undocumented foreign nationals
• 130 for illegal liquor dealing
• 496 for public drinking
• 23 for contravening the Domestic Violence Act

Other arrests included cases of burglary, stock theft, arson, fraud, shoplifting and possession of suspected stolen property.

Items seized

Police also confiscated:

• 8 firearms
• 62 rounds of ammunition
• 46 dangerous weapons
• 38 knives
• 12.039kg of dagga
• 4.485g of crystal meth
• 11.036g of nyaope
• 1.25g of heroin
• 0.004g of crack cocaine
• 158 524 sticks of counterfeit cigarettes
• Approximately 1.46 million millilitres of liquor

Six stolen or robbed vehicles were recovered, while 138 illegal shebeens were closed.

Domestic violence and fines

Police also attended to 289 domestic violence incidents and served 250 protection orders.

A total of 1 754 fines were issued during the operations.

The arrested suspects have started appearing before various magistrates’ courts across the province.