NATIONAL: The South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) continue to intensify efforts aimed at disrupting and dismantling organised criminal networks involved in illicit mining, gang-related violence and other serious and violent crimes.

During the month of May 2026, coordinated multidisciplinary operations conducted across five provinces resulted in the arrest of 1 287 suspects for a range of serious offences.

The suspects were arrested for crimes ranging from illicit mining-related offences, murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, unlawful possession of gold-bearing material, contravention of the Immigration Act, to possession of suspected stolen property and various other serious offences.

Operation PROSPER currently comprises of personnel drawn from multiple law enforcement and security agencies, deployed across identified action areas in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, North West and Western Cape. Through a coordinated and intelligence-driven approach, operational teams continue to conduct targeted interventions aimed at restoring law and order in crime hotspots and areas affected by illicit mining and gang-related activities.

Operational activities include high-visibility patrols, vehicle checkpoints, roadblocks, cordon-and-search operations and intelligence-led enforcement actions, resulting in significant arrests and the seizure of illicit commodities, firearms and criminal infrastructure.

ARRESTS EFFECTED DURING MAY 2026

8 suspects arrested for murder

384 suspects arrested for drug-related offences

4 suspects arrested for assault GBH

9 suspects arrested for unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition

6 suspects arrested for unlawful possession of ammunition

4 suspects arrested for unlawful possession of gold-bearing material

363 suspects arrested for contravention of the Immigration Act

7 suspects arrested for possession of suspected stolen property

502 suspects arrested for offences including robbery, possession of dangerous weapons, malicious damage to property, contravention of the Second-Hand Goods Act, contravention of the Road Traffic Act, fraud and liquor-related offences

ITEMS RECOVERED AND CONFISCATED

Joint operational teams also recovered and confiscated the following items during operations conducted across the five provinces:

31 illegal and unlicensed firearms and 11 replica firearms

1 703 rounds of ammunition and 7 magazines

13 740 litres of illicit alcohol

1 stolen vehicle recovered

Gold-bearing material

Various quantities of drugs, including dagga, mandrax, heroin and CAT

Operation PROSPER forms part of the national crime-fighting initiative announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the 2026 State of the Nation Address.

The SAPS and SANDF remain committed to working alongside other law enforcement and government stakeholders to ensure that criminal networks are disrupted, offenders are brought to justice and communities are made safer. As the operation progresses into its next phase, the operational tempo will intensify, and deployed members will maintain the application of sustained pressure on criminal elements operating within affected areas. – Source SAPS