WANTED ESCAPEE AMONG 26 SUSPECTS ARRESTED THROUGH OPERATION LOCKDOWN III, FOUR UNLICENSED FIREARMS, AMMUNITION, DRUGS, HIJACKED VEHICLE SEIZED
Western Cape, 06 November 2025; The South African Police Service (SAPS) continues to deal decisively with those involved with gang related crimes in the country.
Within a period of three days, members deployed in the Western Cape under OPERATION LOCKDOWN III, arrested a total of 26 suspects in and around Manenburg, Elsies River, Kensington, Wynberg, Lentegeur, and Delft.
Majority of these suspects are known gang members and arrested for crimes that include possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition, possession of a hijacked vehicle, theft out of a motor vehicle, discharging of a firearm in a municipal area, possession of and dealing in drugs.
Amongst those arrested is a wanted individual who had escaped from lawful custody earlier last month. The team operationalised information which led them to the location of the escapee resulting in his re-arrest in Lentegeur. The suspect was initially arrested for a gang related murder.
Also, the multi-disciplinary team collectively seized four unlicensed firearms, several rounds of ammunition of different calibres, spent cartridges, a hijacked vehicle, drugs, a card machine, state owned petrol cards, and cash believed to be the proceeds of crime during the same period (02 – 04 November 2025).
Investigations are ongoing and will determine whether the suspects and the seized firearms are linked to other serious crimes.
OPERATION LOCKDOWN III is a national intervention aimed at addressing drug trafficking, extortion, and violent crimes linked to gangsterism, particularly in the Cape Flats. The multi-disciplinary team comprises members of the National Intervention Unit (NIU), Anti-Gang Unit (AGU), Public Order Policing (POP), Tactical Response Team (TRT), Visible Policing, Organised Crime detectives, Crime Intelligence, Forensic experts, K9 Unit, and Mobilisation Support.
