Over 8000 people arrested since the start of December

National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said the suspects were arrested during safer festive season operations in the country.

The arrests emanated from patrols, stop and searches, roadblocks, and the tracing of wanted suspects.

Over 9 000 explosives were also confiscated during the anti-crime operations.

Here is a breakdown of the arrests affected from 01 December to 29 December 2022:

·         2940 illegal undocumented persons were arrested

·         2729 suspects were arrested for drug-related crime

·         1284 suspects arrested for dealing illegally in liquor

·         628 suspects were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol  

·         305 suspects were arrested and charged with murder

·         527 suspects were arrested and charged with sexual-related offences including rape

·         31 suspects involved in kidnapping cases were arrested

·         445 firearms were seized including 7219 rounds of ammunition

·         244 stolen vehicles recovered

·         9 444 explosives were seized

“We urge everyone to conduct themselves in an orderly and responsible manner as they usher in the new year, most importantly remember not to drink and drive to prevent loss of life on our roads,” said Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola.

ALSO READ