Just more than a million people — about 2,2% of the population — were arrested in South Africa in the past financial year, 445 779 of them for serious and violent crimes, according to the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) annual report released this week.
A total of 35 248 lost and stolen firearms and 34 055 stolen and robbed vehicles were recovered.
More than 2,1-million kilograms of dagga worth more than R2,7-billion were seized and 17 291 cellphones, 16 539 computers and 12 402 electronic devices such as televisions, video recorders and sound systems were recovered.
Police conducted 72 443 roadblocks, 676 329 vehicle patrols, 320 112 foot patrols and 166 278 stop-and-search operations in the year, the report states.
Border police arrested 748 people for stolen or hijacked vehicles, 68 for firearms and ammunition violations and 376 for narcotics worth more than R3-billion.
Special units dealing with crimes against women and children probed a total of 47 579 cases in the period under review, and affected 20 597 arrests. Convictions were achieved in 3 031 cases and a total of 14 908 years’ jail terms were imposed — including 1 232 life sentences.
A total of 341 organised crime groups were infiltrated during the year and 467 leaders arrested, the document states. A total of 1 229 syndicate members were also arrested. Charges involved drugs, vehicle theft, armed robbery, hijacking, corruption, fraud and trade in precious metals and stones.
Furthermore, 3 310 people were arrested and appeared in court for corruption, the report states.
Police detected and closed 51 drug laboratories during the year under review.
In cooperation with Mozambican police, the SAPS seized 231 sub-machine guns in that country, 133 rifles, two million rounds of small-arms ammunition, 2 000 magazines, 270kg of explosives, 115 mortar bombs and 10 anti-personnel mines.
”The SAPS is confident that the successes achieved during the 2003/04 financial year can be sustained,” National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi says in a foreword to the annual report.
”We undertake to work tirelessly to build on the successes, to learn from and address past failures and to continue working towards our vision — to create a safe and secure environment for all people in South Africa.” — Sapa