The men were apprehended in Kagiso, West Rand, as part of the over one-year-old Operation Shanela, a Zulu word meaning “to sweep.”
South Africa is the continent’s most developed country, but its crime rate remains one of the highest in the world. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the country has one of the highest murder rates globally.
Since the launch of Operation Shanela in May last year, police have arrested hundreds of thousands of crime suspects, from gang members terrorizing communities to kidnappers, rapists, extortionists, drug dealers, and bank robbers, bringing them to court to face justice.
“Exactly 551,506 suspects have been arrested for various crimes across the country since May 2023 when Operation Shanela was introduced,” said Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele.
Among them are 2,819 illegal miners, over 41,000 illegal migrants, and more than 17,000 drug dealers.
However, officers have also killed over 150 suspects who resisted arrest.
“We will forever welcome the arrest of criminals and for them to have their day in court,” Cele said. “But criminals are warned that if they engage the police instead of surrendering themselves, they will come out short.”
Just last week, police arrested 770 suspects and confiscated firearms, ammunition, counterfeit cigarettes, and medications. In one instance, a group of eleven youngsters terrorizing the community of Mariannhill in Kwa-Zulu-Natal were intercepted, and nine were shot and killed during the arrest. In another instance, five suspected robbers were killed during a gunfire exchange with police.
“We are clear; police will continue to protect communities and push back hard on criminality,” the Minister said.