HIGH-DENSITY OPERATION BY FREE STATE SAPS LEADS TO 3116 ARRESTS

Lieutenant General Thabang Lesia

By: Neo Ntsele

The Free State SAPS Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thabang Lesia, praised the unwavering commitment of the multidisciplinary teams who tirelessly worked to uphold law and order during the planned national shutdown on 30 June 2026 and beyond.

While Bloemfontein witnessed a day of peaceful marches, other districts in the Free State province unfortunately faced incidents of public violence, looting, and property damage.

Free State Provincial SAPS units responded promptly to these outbreaks, restoring order and making several arrests.

In Odendaalsrus, businesses were targeted by looters, leading to the immediate arrest of three suspects.

In Thabong (Sunrise View area), seven shops were looted, and two SAPS operational vehicles were damaged.

No arrests have been made yet in Thabong, but investigations continue.

In Vredefort, a large disturbance resulted in the looting of 20 shops and damage to a police vehicle.

Officers arrested four suspects for public violence and one for Malicious Damage to Property (MDTP) related to the vehicle damage.

In Tumahole, nine shops were looted, and four house robberies occurred at properties rented by foreign nationals.

In Petrus Steyn, five shops were targeted by looters, but swift police action led to the arrest of 10 suspects.

A total of 19 suspects were arrested during the sporadic looting, and police seized several looted items, drugs, and a firearm.

Alongside handling these public disturbances, the Free State Police launched a massive, three-day multidisciplinary operation involving all specialized policing units and external stakeholders.

The operation focused heavily on serious crimes and illegal immigration, achieving significant results.

During the tracing operations conducted by detectives and other policing units, 2,153 arrests were made.

Arrests related to contact crimes totalled 223, while crimes dependent on police action accounted for 146 arrests.

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Additionally, 581 undocumented foreign nationals were detained.

Drug-related arrests totalled 382, while two firearms were recovered and two foreign nationals were arrested.

Free State police monitored seven marches across the province, as well as two groups that were peacefully dispersed.

Approximately 505 premises, including businesses and tuck shops, were visited during the four-day operation.

In collaboration with external stakeholders, the Firearms, Liquor, and Second-Hand Goods unit issued 582 compliance fines for liquor-related offences.

Additionally, three suspects were fined for non-compliance, four were arrested for illegal liquor dealings, and four fines were issued for violations of the Second-Hand Goods Act.

Lieutenant General Thabang Lesia warned that "lawlessness, looting, and attacks on state property will be met with the full force of the law."