Shanela arrests 18 488 in a week as police seize R110m mandrax lab in Pretoria

The South African Police Service arrested 18 488 people in seven days during its latest Operation Shanela, including 2 684 suspects wanted in connection with serious and violent crimes, and seized drugs, firearms, ammunition, stolen vehicles and other contraband across multiple provinces.

The figures cover enforcement activity between 7 and 13 September 2026. As CapeTown ETC reported on 14 September, the operation placed particular emphasis on disrupting drug trafficking networks, removing illegal firearms from circulation and pursuing suspects linked to violent and organised crime.

The largest single drug seizure was in Erasmia, Pretoria, where police dismantled a mandrax laboratory capable of producing up to 800 000 tablets a day. Two Mozambican nationals were arrested and drugs valued at R110 million were seized.

In the Western Cape, police stopped a vehicle on the N1 in Beaufort West and recovered 57 000 mandrax tablets and 5kg of cocaine, valued at R5.8 million. A separate operation in Kraaifontein intercepted a Volvo truck carrying mandrax worth R2 million, leading to the arrest of a Zimbabwean national. At OR Tambo International Airport, police seized cocaine worth R800 000 from a suspected drug mule travelling to Hong Kong.

Across the country, 3 385 suspects were arrested for possession of drugs and 318 for alleged drug dealing.

Firearms remained a major focus. SAPS and other law enforcement agencies confiscated 148 unlicensed firearms and 2 095 rounds of ammunition, alongside 47 hijacked or stolen vehicles. More than R10 million worth of contraband was seized during the various operations, including counterfeit goods valued at more than R9 million in Marabastad, Pretoria.

On 11 September, 1 787 firearms and firearm parts were destroyed as part of the African Union’s Silencing the Guns initiative.

The operation recorded arrests across a wide range of alleged offences, among them 144 for murder, 165 for attempted murder, 164 for rape, 94 for illegal possession of firearms, 23 for human trafficking, 70 for armed robbery, 1 559 for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, 1 003 for common assault, 751 for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, 1 870 for illegal migration and 625 for possession of dangerous weapons.

A separate operation involving Cape Town brought an international dimension to the week. Six alleged members of the Black Axe network, arrested in South Africa in 2021, were extradited to the United States on 11 September. They face charges of wire fraud and money laundering in the US over allegations that more than 100 women were defrauded of approximately R100 million through online romance scams. The suspects were handed over to the FBI and the US Secret Service at Cape Town International Airport.

The scale of the arrests and seizures will be felt unevenly across the country. For residents in areas where drug networks and illegal firearms have driven violent crime, the operation represents a visible enforcement push. The 2 684 suspects wanted for serious and violent crimes include people linked to murder, attempted murder and rape, and their removal from circulation is a direct public safety outcome.

The Erasmia laboratory, with a claimed daily production capacity of 800 000 mandrax tablets, points to industrial-scale drug manufacturing in Gauteng. Mandrax remains one of the most widely used illicit drugs in South Africa and is frequently linked to gang violence in the Western Cape and organised crime networks in other provinces.

The extradition of the six alleged Black Axe members is a rare instance of South African law enforcement cooperating with US authorities on cyber-enabled fraud. The case involves more than 100 women defrauded of approximately R100 million through online romance scams, a crime type that has grown as more South Africans and foreigners use dating apps and social media.

Operation Shanela is SAPS’s national crime-fighting initiative, combining visible policing, intelligence-led operations and targeted raids. The operation is ongoing and further updates are expected from SAPS. The department has not yet said how many of the 18 488 arrested will face prosecution or how many have already appeared in court.

Source: CapeTown ETC, Operation Shanela: 18 488 suspects arrested in one week