Cape town: As the South African Police Service (SAPS) continues to intensify its efforts against gang-related crimes through Operation Lockdown III, a total of 26 suspects have been arrested in and around Manenburg, Elsies River, Kensington, Wynberg, Lentegeur, and Delft.

According to South African Government News Agency, the majority of the suspects are known gang members, facing charges that include possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, possession of a hijacked vehicle, theft from a motor vehicle, discharging a firearm in a municipal area, and possession or dealing in drugs.

Amongst those arrested is a wanted individual who had escaped from lawful custody earlier last month. The team operationalized information which led them to the location of the escapee resulting in his re-arrest in Lentegeur. The suspect was initially arrested for a gang-related murder.

Also, the multi-disciplinary team collectively seized four unlicensed firearms, several rounds of ammunition of different calibres, spent cartridges, a hijacked vehicle, drugs, a card machine, state-owned petrol cards, and cash believed to be the proceeds of crime during the same period (02 – 04 November 2025), the police said in a statement.

Police confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine whether the suspects and seized firearms are linked to other serious crimes.

Operation Lockdown III is a national intervention aimed at addressing drug trafficking, extortion, and violent crimes linked to gangsterism, particularly in the Cape Flats.

The multi-disciplinary team comprises members of the National Intervention Unit (NIU), Anti-Gang Unit (AGU), Public Order Policing (POP), Tactical Response Team (TRT), Visible Policing, Organised Crime detectives, Crime Intelligence, Forensic experts, K9 Unit, and Mobilisation Support.