It was a weekend of flashing blue lights, roadblocks and handcuffs as more than 1 200 suspects were arrested during Operation Shanela II, one of the biggest police crackdowns to hit Gauteng this year.
The massive operation saw 157 alleged drunk drivers taken off the roads, while 159 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested for allegedly contravening the Immigration Act.
Police also struck hard against violent crime. Three suspects were arrested after they were allegedly found with a hijacked vehicle, while two more were caught with a vehicle believed to have been used in a robbery and murder that shocked the Protea community.
In Orange Farm alone, officers arrested 28 suspected drunk drivers, 12 undocumented foreign nationals, six drug suspects and four people accused of selling liquor without a licence.
The biggest shock came when detectives rounded up 751 wanted suspects in a single night, including 135 suspects linked to crimes against women and children.
Led by Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, Operation Shanela II brought together SAPS, Home Affairs, traffic officers, Community Policing Forums, Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens and private security companies in a full-scale assault on crime.
Police have vowed that the crackdown is far from over, warning criminals that there will be no hiding place as law enforcement tightens the net across Gauteng.
