CAPE TOWN, July 18 (Xinhua) -- South African police said on Saturday that 69 people were arrested after an anti-immigrant protest turned violent in the Eastern Cape Province, with at least 23 foreign-owned spaza shops looted during the unrest.

In a statement, the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Eastern Cape said the situation in Jeffreys Bay and the broader Kouga region remained calm on Saturday following Thursday's violent protests, adding that foreign-owned spaza shops in the area were still closed as a precautionary measure.

Police said Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner Vuyisile Ncata had instructed the district to intensify search-and-seizure operations to recover looted property, while investigators were probing the role of protest leaders in instigating Thursday's violence, with further arrests possible as investigations continue.

According to SAPS, the 69 suspects, aged between 18 and 52, were arrested on charges of public violence after at least 23 spaza shops were looted during Thursday's unrest. Several foreign nationals were placed in temporary shelters for their safety, while three injured people were referred for medical treatment.

All the suspects remain in custody and are expected to appear before the Humansdorp Magistrate Court on Monday, police said.

"We are satisfied with the current calm, but we will not let our guard down. I call on community leaders to continue engaging residents and to cooperate with police in handing over any looted goods. Lawlessness will not be tolerated, and those who break the law will face the full might of justice," said Ncata.