16 817 SUSPECTS ARRESTED INCLUDING 1 013 FOR ILLEGAL LIQUOR TRADE, 25 117 LITRES OF ALCOHOL AND 128 UNLICENSED FIREARMS SEIZED DURING THE NATIONWIDE SAFER FESTIVE SEASON OPRATIONS
PRETORIA- 09 December 2025; The SAPS remains resolute in fighting crime and asserting state authority during the festive season through its intensified nationwide Safer Festive Season Operation, running alongside Operation Shanela II resulted in the arrest of 16 817 suspects from 01 to 07 December 2025.
In the past week, these crime-fighting initiatives and tracking operations saw police apprehending 2 626 wanted suspects for serious and violent crimes including murder, attempted murder, rape, car-hijackings, sexual offences, house and business robberies.
In addition, a total of 1 013 suspects were arrested for illegal liquor trade as well as 771 suspects for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including confiscating 25 117 litres of alcohol.
NATIONAL KEY ARRESTS:
▶️146 suspects were arrested for murder. KZN recorded the highest number of arrests with 46, followed by WC- 22, MP- 19, and then EC-17
▶️ 141 suspects were arrested for rape, with the majority of arrests in GP-30
▶️ 131 suspects were arrested for attempted murder across multiple provinces
▶️1 580 suspects arrested for assault GBH
▶️ 2 978 suspects arrested for possession of drugs, with the Western Cape recording the highest number of arrests with 1 708, followed by KZN with 360, GP-287, and then EC-279
▶️279 suspects for dealing in drugs for the past week
▶️ 82 suspects were apprehended for illegal possession of unlicensed firearms
▶️ 417 for possession of dangerous weapons
▶️ 27 arrested for human trafficking
Major seizures and recoveries
▶️1 709 rounds of ammunition were seized during the same period
▶️128 unlicensed firearms were seized
▶️1 916 dangerous weapons were recovered
▶️Contraband goods worth more than R20 million were seized in the past week
▶️ 65 stolen and hijacked vehicles recovered
TAKEDOWNS HIGHLIGHTS CONDUCTED ACROSS THE COUNTRY:
▶️NATIONAL: Two Mozambican foreign national arrested after police recovered two firearms stolen from officers who were shot and killed in Ivory Park on 01 December 2025. Seizures included the SAPS-issued R5 rifle and one pistol, and police investigation is ongoing.
Still on National, two bodyguards aged 24 and 36 years arrested outside Alexandra Magistrates’ Court for possession of semi-automatic AKM rifles and ammunition. A vehicle, rifles, and ammunition were seized.
▶️WESTERN CAPE: Police uncovered illicit alcohol manufacturing plant in Lansdowne and arrested two suspects aged between 26 and 39 years arrested for the illegal manufacturing and distributing liquor. Seizures included manufacturing equipment, an assortment of alcohol branding stickers, and unknown liquids.
Still in Western Cape, members of the Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Narcotics Unit intercepted a truck on the N12 en route from Johannesburg to George carrying drugs. A box containing cocaine worth R3.6 million was seized and arrested a 46-year-old suspect for dealing in cocaine.
▶️MPUMALANGA: Police acting on intelligence intercepted a truck pulling two trailers with twelve 5, 000-litre water tanks packed with cartons of illicit cigarettes. The seized consignment consists of 25 pallets of illicit cigarettes worth R17,4 million. A 43-year-old foreign national from the Kingdom of Eswatini was arrested after the discovery of illicit cigarettes hidden inside water tanks in Sundra on 05 December 2025.
Still on Mpumalanga. Two Zimbabwean foreign nationals, Tinashe Chitsamba (40) and Oscar Mutsetemari (45), were arrested for dealing in dagga. This follows police intercepted a truck on N2 Road from Empangeni en route to Zimbabwe and discovered six big bags of compressed dagga to the value of R1,2 million, on 04 December 2025.
▶️NORTHERN CAPE: On 04 December 2025, police intercepted a vehicle allegedly transporting a rhino horn on the N14 and arrested three suspected rhino poachers, aged between 42 and 48 years. Seizures included a rhino horn, a pistol, and ammunition.
▶️KWAZULU-NATAL: An intelligence-driven operation conducted at Oshayanyawo, Ekombe led to the arrest of a 49-year-old suspect for possession of unlicensed firearms. They seized an AK47 assault rifle with three (3) rounds of ammunition, an HMC pistol with fourteen (14) rounds of ammunition, as well as a Shotgun with thirteen (13) rounds of ammunition.
In a separation operation. Three suspects aged between 50 and 61 years were arrested at Makhasaneni for unlawful possession of firearms on 02 December 2025. During the operation, police recovered five homemade firearms, one homemade shotgun, one .38 special revolver, one pistol, and ammunition.
