Durban — Police in KwaZulu-Natal arrested more than 8 800 suspects for various crimes and recovered 325 guns last month.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said that police operations in various parts of the province resulted in 8 809 suspects behind bars for various crimes including murder, attempted murder, robberies, rape, dealing in drugs as well as possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition between April 1-30, 2023.
He said that efforts to bring justice to the victims of crimes yielded the following results:
- 185 suspects were arrested in connection with cases of murder;
- 112 more people were busted for attempted murder;
- 102 suspects were cornered and nabbed for business and house robberies;
- 205 suspects were arrested for rape;
- 43 suspects were arrested for their alleged involvement in cases of robbery with aggravating circumstances;
- 1 058 suspects were brought before the courts of law in connection with cases of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm;
- 325 firearms were recovered, inclusive of 26 rifles, 20 shotguns and 29 homemade firearms;
- 2 375 rounds of ammunition were also seized from the arrested suspects; and
- The intensified war against drugs also saw huge amounts of cocaine, mandrax, heroin and crystal meth being confiscated during the operations.
KZN police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, assured residents that targeted, intelligence-led operations would continue, and police would enforce the law so that those involved in criminal activities will be “out of breathing space.”
“Police are determined to bring stability, peace and order in our province. No amount of anarchy will be tolerated and no self-proclaimed gang or crime kingpin will have the luxury of space to torment and terrorise law-abiding citizens.
“We encourage our policemen and policewomen to continue safeguarding the citizens without fear and narrow the space for criminals. We also appeal to community members to continue providing us with useful tip-offs that contribute to our intelligence capacity and lead to the arrest of dangerous suspects”, said Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi.
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