17,914 arrests in a week as SAPS launches its festive crackdown

Police arrested 17,914 people in a single week as SAPS kicked off its Safer Festive Season 2026/2027 operations, and the extra patrols, roadblocks and checks at airports and taxi ranks will run right through the holidays (SAPS, The Citizen).

The campaign was launched on Monday, 26 October, at KwaBokweni Stadium in Mpumalanga by acting national commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane. "The festive season must be a time of joy, not tragedy," she said (The Citizen).

Where will you see more police this festive season?

SAPS says it will keep a strong presence at ports of entry, airports, railway stations, taxi ranks and major transport corridors for the whole festive period. Coastal provinces and popular holiday spots get particular attention, since that's where most travellers head (The Citizen).

The plan rests on five focus areas (The Citizen):

• high-density policing in hotspots
• serious and organised crime
• road safety enforcement
• protecting tourist destinations and public spaces
• working with communities

Police say they'll go after hijackings, armed robberies, illegal guns, illicit liquor, human trafficking and smuggling, and step up work on gender-based violence (The Citizen). The same teams are also preparing for the 4 November local government elections (The Citizen).

What did the first week of operations turn up?

Between 19 and 25 October, the festive operations and the ongoing Operation Shanela II led to 17,914 arrests. Detectives traced 2,851 people who were already wanted for crimes ranging from drug trafficking to organised crime (SAPS).

Source: SAPS media statement, 26 October 2026. Arrests are not convictions.

Police also took 164 unlicensed firearms and 1,425 rounds of ammunition off the streets and recovered 57 hijacked or stolen vehicles. KwaZulu-Natal accounted for the most seized handguns (49), followed by the Western Cape (33) (SAPS). The Western Cape recorded the most arrests for drug possession, at 1,841 (SAPS).

The biggest single bust was about 250kg of cocaine, worth more than R200 million, found in five suitcases on a flight from São Paulo, Brazil, at OR Tambo International Airport (SABC News, SAPS). Police also shut down suspected drug labs in Krugersdorp, Gauteng, and Ramokokastad, North West (SAPS).

How do you report crime or tip off the police?

In an emergency, call 10111 (gov.za).

To report crime anonymously, call Crime Stop on 08600 10111. It runs 24 hours a day, you'll get a reference code for follow-ups, and calls are charged at normal rates. It's not for emergencies (SAPS).

You can also send a tip-off through the free MySAPS app on Google Play or the Apple App Store, or dial \*134\*10111# on a feature phone. You need data to use the app, and you must choose "Anonymous" yourself if you don't want your details shared (SAPS, SAPS).

SAPS says its Facebook and X pages are not for reporting crime (SAPS).