Operation Prosper
'Operational tempo will continue'
Prosper against crime
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
Woman arrested for selling medical certificates
Wannabe doc’s sick trick
CRIME SCENE: Gugulethu, Cape Town: Police have arrested a 40-year-old woman for allegedly selling medical sick certificates to the public.
Captain FC van Wyk, a media liaison officer for the Western Cape police, said members attached to Gugulethu Crime Prevention Unit arrested the woman residing at NY77 on charges of forgery and uttering on Tuesday, 26 May 2026.
“The preliminary investigation will determine the extent of the fraudulent activities and whether the suspect was employed or affiliated with any medical practitioner or healthcare institution, said Van Wyk.
In another incident in Gugulethu, on Wednesday, 27 May 2026 Gugulethu police, in a joint operation with Law Enforcement and the South African National Defence Force, under the auspicious of Operation Prosper, conducted a crime prevention operation aimed at addressing illegal liquor trading and related criminal activities in the area.
“Two illegal shebeens were raided, resulting in the seizure of approximately 426 litres of liquor with an estimated street value of R80 000.
“All confiscated liquor was handed in as exhibits for safe keeping. The operation forms part of ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to combat crime in Gugulethu,” said Van Wyk.
The Western Cape Provincial police management commended all involved for their cooperation and commitment in contributing towards the reduction of crime in Gugulethu, he said
Bonteheuwel: The same day at 13:45 members of Operation Prosper arrested a 41-year-old man for allegedly dealing in drugs at a premises in Bramble Way, Bonteheuwel. The arrest was made during stop and search operations in the area. The members found and confiscated 45 small Tik sachets, 24 big sachets of Tik, 25 Mandrax tablets and 22 half Mandrax tablet as well as cash.
Nine people arrested, drugs and guns confiscated
Prosper hit Delft
CRIME SCENE: Delft, Cape Town: A number of suspects were arrested and drugs and firearms recovered when Operation Prosper hit Rosendal and Delft South on Tuesday, 19 May and Wednesday, 20 May 2026.
On Tuesday in Cessna Street, the members arrested a 25-year-old woman for possession of tik when they found 29g of Tik in her pockets. They then proceeded to Heinkel Street and at approximately 23:10 a 29-year-old man was found in possession of 11 rounds of ammunition, and he was arrested.
The operation continued to Nielson Street at around 23:20 where the members stopped a teenage boy and girl, both aged 18-years, and searched them. Three sachets of Tik, seven Mandrax tablets and seven Ecstasy tablets were found in their possession. Both were arrested.
Two women, aged 30 and 31-years, were arrested in Auber Street after police found 13.5g and 11 sachets of Tik in their possession. In a separate incident, in the same street at about 23:45, a 34-year-old man was arrested for possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Another man aged 30-years was arrested for possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition in Aandblom Street at around 23:50.
The final arrest came at around 01:30 on Wednesday morning when a 34-year-old man was arrested in the same street after he was found with 57.8g of Tik, 224 Mandrax tablets and an undisclosed amount of cash. He faces a charge of dealing in drugs.
▪Operation Prosper was launched on 01 April 2026. It represents a coordinated and decisive response by law enforcement and defence structures to disrupt criminal activity, remove illegal firearms from circulation and reinforce a safer environment for residents.
Operation Prosper has had some success
No end in sight to Flats violence
CRIME SCENE: Cape Flats: Since the army’s boots hit the Cape Flats ground just over a month ago, Operation Prosper has had some measure of success, but it hasn’t stopped innocent deaths in gang ridden areas.
The bullets kept on flying. Blood kept flowing. There seems no end in sight.
Operation Prosper, a joint deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), South African Police Services (SAPS) and the City of Cape Town’s Metro Police, Traffic Police, and Law Enforcement to combat gang violence, extortion and crime in the Western Cape, rolled into Mitchells Plain on 1 April 2026.
The deployment is planned for a year and includes high-density patrols, roadblocks, stop-and-search operations, vehicle control points (VCP), inspections of liquor-licensed premises, and checks for undocumented persons.
From 1 to 28 April 2026 a total of 23 firearms, one hand grenade and 146 rounds of ammunition were confiscated. The forces also confiscated drugs worth over R4 million and liquor worth R262 426, while making 191 drug related arrests and 31 illegally dealing in alcohol.
But the operation went a bit further than just combatting gang violence, as 29 illegal migrants were arrested and Abalone and Rock Lobster worth over R 45 000 were confiscated.
●The information contained in this report was supplied by Captain Walter Kassaka, the operational communication officer at the Joint Tactical Headquarters, Western Cape.
Operation Prosper achieve significant success
Hand grenade found buried in shack
Operation Prosper, the joint deployment of forces to root out gang violence on the Cape Flats, has had significant successes this week, including the discovery of a hand grenade and several firearms.
This is how it happened.
Thursday, 22 April 2026
Freedom Farm, Delft: In the early hours of the morning members of Prosper recovered five firearms, two extended magazines, a large quantity of ammunition and an explosive device identified as an M26 hand grenade during an intelligence-led operation at the Freedom Farm informal settlement.
A 23-year-old suspect was first arrested after two 9mm firearms and ammunition were discovered at a premises.
Further investigation led to the discovery of two additional firearms, ammunition and the hand grenade buried at a burnt-out shack nearby, where a 35-year-old suspect was arrested.
The operation continued to nearby premises where another 9mm firearm and ammunition were discovered, leading to the arrest of a 35-year-old man.
In another search, a 36-year-old man was arrested after tik was found concealed beneath a carpet in a shack.
Wednesday, 22 April 2026
Khayelitsha: At approximately 14:30 in K-2 Temporals, Site B, the members discovered 24 clear plastic bags of tik. A 23-year-old man was arrested.
Hanover Park: A 43-year-old woman was arrested in Lynston Road, Hanover Park at around 15:20 after she was found in possession of one packet of cocaine, 25 bags of dagga and 20 dagga cigarettes.
Nyanga: A 39-year-old man was found in possession of 71 sachets of cocaine at around 17:00 in Sithandathu Street. He was arrested for dealing in drugs, assault on police, resisting arrest and contravention of the Immigration Act.
Tuesday, 21 April 2026
Voorbrug, Delft: Two men were stopped at Akkerdaai Street, where a 32-year-old male suspect was found in possession of three sachets of tik, six Mandrax tablets and 2.8g of cocaine. A 37-year-old who was walking with the 32-year-old was found with the same amount of drugs in his possession.
Eindhoven, Delft: A further search in the area led to the arrest of a 54-year-old man who was found in possession of 10 sachets of cocaine in Atbo Street.
▪Operation Prosper was launched on 01 April 2026. It represents a coordinated and decisive response by law enforcement and defence structures to disrupt criminal activity, remove illegal firearms from circulation and reinforce a safer environment for residents.
46000 Mandrax tablets found in storage
Blow for drug dealing
CRIME SCENE: Delft, Cape Town: DRUG dealing in the Western Cape were dealt with a major blow when police confiscated Mandrax tablets worth more than R2,7-million on Monday 20 April 2026.
Members of Operation Prosper were busy with stop and search operations in N2 Gateway, Delft. They searched a silver Honda Civic vehicle and its occupant. In the vehicle they found ten mandrax tablets and an undisclosed amount of cash, believed to be the proceeds of crime.
Further investigation led them to a storage facility in Stikland, Bellville. At the facility the members found 46 packs containing 1000 mandrax tablets each with an estimated street value of R2,76-million.
A 45-year-old man was arrested for dealing In drugs and is set to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court.