Some of the firearm found on the suspects photo supplied
By Lt Col Amanda van Wyk
SAPS Spokesperson
Mpumalanga, 01 August 2025; On the eve of Women’s Month, the South African Police Service (SAPS) conducted an operation in Standerton that resulted in the arrest of a 59-year-old suspect for the possession of child sexual abuse material.
This brings the total number of arrests made under OPERATION BAD VIBES to sixteen.
On Wednesday, 30 July 2025, an integrated team executed a search-and-seizure warrant, which led to the arrest of the suspect.
During the operation, the team also seized 15 licensed firearms and several digital devices.
The suspect who was arrested by SAPS photo supplied
While processing the scene, forensic experts uncovered more than 56 000 videos and images depicting child sexual abuse material; the forensic investigation is ongoing.
The operation was led by the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) Unit in Mpumalanga, with support from Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), US Embassy, the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC), and designated firearm officers in Standerton.
The suspect appeared in the Standerton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 31 July 2025.
The case has been postponed to 04 August 2025 for a formal bail application.
Initiated in 2023, OPERATION BAD VIBES is a joint initiative between the SAPS and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), US Embassy, aimed at tracing and arresting individuals in South Africa who are linked to accessing, possession, manufacturing, and distribution of child sexual abuse material on a global scale.
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