Operation Shanela in the Eastern Cape areas of Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay Metros saw high density operations from 16-22 October resulted in arrests, recoveries and seizures.
The total number of arrests were 1299 for murder, rape robberies (business and residential), theft of motor vehicles, possession of drugs and illegal possession of firearms; illegal possession of abalone; illegal possession of counterfeit items, amongst other arrests, plus 375 wanted suspects were arrested by the detective officers.
Confiscations included 294 rounds of ammunition, 167 dangerous weapons (knives, screwdrivers etc), 40 firearms (27 illegal firearms were confiscated in the Nelson Mandela Bay district), and 827 mandrax tablets .
Multidisciplinary intelligence driven operations were held in the Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay metros with the aim of clamping down on fake products and contrabands. In Motherwell, 1976 illicit perfumes, 951 illegal mouse traps and 10 104 illegal skin lightening cream, and 31 744 sexual enhancing tablets with a total value of R5 508 390 were seized.
Also in Gqeberha, the team seized expired sweets and biscuits, fake spices, fake Eno and Med lemon, fake cellphone chargers, boxes of mint tobacco, fake toothpaste items, Hooka charcoal and Gambling machines. The total value of these confiscations is R8 877 941.
In East London, three pharmacies were fined for operating without a registered pharmacist on site while dispensing scheduled drugs and controlled medicines. Additionally, illicit cigarettes and a wide range of other items, including pharmaceuticals (adcodol tablets, fake pregnancy test, prohibited schedule 5 and 6 medicines) , cosmetics (skin whitening creams), and other products (fake sexual enhancing gels) and counterfeit cigarettes were confiscated by SAHPRA. The total estimation of all confiscated items is valued at R5 784 890.
Operations held in the Sarah Baartman District made a tremendous impact on the emerging gang violence in the area. Sustained high visibility resulted in the confiscation of tik, prescription pills, a 9mm pistol, a zip gun as well as alcohol. At least 4 illegal shebeens were closed and owners charged. The operation was a positive start going into the weekend, and no crime were committed whilst police presence dominated in the hotspot areas.
illegal possession of abalone in the Seaview area. A total of 485 units of abalone was confiscated. The estimated street value of the abalone is R135 000.
Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Nomthetheleli Mene, is confident that successes attained through Operation Shanela is definitely making a difference in the hot-spot areas across the Province. ‘Our actions have proved that we are coming down hard against crime as we continue to flush out criminals as well as confiscate firearms that are used in the commission of serious crimes,’ added Lt Gen Mene.
