By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The South African Police Services (SAPS) cracked down on a syndicate believed to be behind the selling and supplying of explosives to criminals.
The syndicate, comprising three men and a woman supplied the explosives to Cash In Transit (CIT) robbers, ATM bombers, and illegal mining suspects.
The suspects were arrested in Welkom, in the Free State during a tracing operation by SAPS Eastern Cape Crime Intelligence, members of the National Intervention Unit (NIU) from Pretoria, as well as the SAPS FS Explosives section on Wednesday afternoon.
National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says the suspects were arrested during a tracing operation by various law enforcement teams.
“The suspects are believed to be involved in a number of cases where explosives were used in the commission of crimes such as ATM bombings, CIT’s and illicit mining activities in the Free State, Eastern Cape, North West and Gauteng.
“The suspects were found with 40 explosives and a number of explosives accessories.”
Mathe said the police have seized 11,481 explosives during roadblocks since the start of Operation Shanela in May 2023.
“One-hundred-and-seventy-three suspects have also been arrested during the same period for the illegal possession of explosives.”
All four suspects are expected to appear before the Welkom Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges relating to contravening Explosives Act 26 of 1956.
Meanwhile the daily threat of crime means the ruling African National Congress, which came to power 30 years ago in April, is under significant pressure to act.
The murder rate fell in the years after the end of apartheid, reaching a low point around a decade ago. Since then, it has increased 77% to the current level – back to where it was 20 years ago.
Detection rates have fallen in tandem, down more than 60% since 2012, leading to the situation where so few murders are solved.
In response, the government is recruiting thousands of new police officers, with 20,000 joining in the past two years at high-profile events.