Illegal mining under scrutiny in Primrose
Seventeen suspects were apprehended in the Primrose area on charges of illegal mining and being undocumented during the provincial Operation Shanela.
With the deployment of SANDF members, the Provincial Integrated Operation Shanela examined illegal mining in Primrose on December 1.
The operation is still committed to bringing the district’s crime rate down. In the district, the integrated operations that were carried out from December 1 to 3 were successful.
Two illegal firearms were taken off the streets and 347 suspects were arrested for a variety of offences as a result of operations carried out over the weekend within Ekurhuleni policing precincts.
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One hundred and seventeen suspects were apprehended in the Primrose area on charges of illegal mining and being undocumented during the provincial investigation into Shanela.
“One hundred and sixty pendukas, 32 water pumps, 28 generators, 18 crush pots, 24 blasting cartridges, six detonating fuses, 53 connector fuses, four drill machines, two grinders, six stampers, five bags of iron balls, 20 gold-bearing soil bags, 29 oxygen bottles, 28 shovels and two picks were seized,” said district communications officer Captain Neldah Sekgobela.
“Detectives conducted suspect tracing operations within Ekurhuleni district police stations on December 2, apprehending 196 suspects.
“Of these, 120 were charged with contact crimes, 44 with other serious crimes, nine with warrants of arrest and 20 with domestic violence,” said Sekgobela.
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“Ekurhuleni district commissioner, Major General Anna Sithole thanked the community for the commitment they displayed during the operations by ensuring that those who transgress the law are brought to book,” said Sekgobela.
