South Africa’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration reported on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, that 354 people have been arrested across 205 registered cases targeting illegal border crossings, illegal mining, and organised crime. Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi confirmed that 123 of those cases were already on court rolls, though the committee did not provide a provincial breakdown or any conviction figures.
The arrests stem from a multidisciplinary enforcement effort involving SAPS, immigration officials, and other agencies that authorities say targets weaknesses in the migration system. According to EBNewsDaily, which first reported the committee’s figures, the cases cover a range of offences linked to border violations and organised criminal networks exploiting gaps in immigration enforcement.
A separate cross-border operation running from 1 to 4 September 2026 resulted in 275 arrests and the confiscation of illicit goods valued at over R15 million, according to The Citizen. The operation targeted border corridors across the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape, and Free State, with 76 undocumented foreign nationals detained and 55 suspects held for offences including unlicensed firearms, drug dealing, and possession of suspected stolen property.
On 2 September 2026, a K9 Unit member flagged a suspicious courier parcel travelling from Gauteng to the Western Cape, leading to the discovery of 4,000 Mandrax tablets. The cross-border operation also saw 8,406 vehicles and 13,039 individuals stopped and searched, resulting in 406 traffic fines valued at R396,950.
The committee’s figures form part of a broader intensification of law enforcement across South Africa in 2026. Operation Shanela, a nationwide SAPS crime prevention initiative, netted 16,684 arrests between 20 and 26 July 2026, including 1,869 undocumented immigrants, according to SA News.
SAPS said in a statement accompanying the Shanela figures: “Operation Shanela continues to send a strong message that crime and lawlessness will not be tolerated in South Africa, whether committed by locals or foreign nationals.” The department did not provide a breakdown of how many of those arrests led to prosecutions.
The relationship between the Inter-Ministerial Committee’s 354 arrests and the cross-border operation’s 275 arrests remains unclear, as neither SAPS nor the committee confirmed whether the figures overlap. No source has reported how many of the 205 registered cases have been finalised or how many people have been convicted.
Justice Minister Kubayi warned businesses employing undocumented foreign nationals that they could face legal action, according to EBNewsDaily. All arrests remain allegations until tested in court, and the committee has not reported any convictions from the 205 cases.
What remains unknown is whether any of the 354 arrests occurred specifically in the Western Cape or on the Cape Flats, as no provincial breakdown has been released. Cape Flats News will check with SAPS Western Cape for a regional breakdown and report back when the committee or police provide further details.