NIGEL – Two suspects were arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Unit for illegal dealings in gold refining on November 22 on a property in Kaydale on November 22.
This follows an intelligence driven operation over the past four months, after the Hawks received information from a member of the public about illegal mining activities at another plot in the area. At the time, Hawks members arrested six suspects on the property and seized a number of electrical pendulums and chemicals used in the process of refining. They also discovered that the suspect’s electricity to the property had been supplied by a neighbouring property, which resulted in the continuation of the investigation.
“We finally obtained a search warrant from Nigel Magistrate’s Court on November 21 to search the neighbouring property, where we discovered another illegal operation,” Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu from the Hawks said.
They arrested a 28-year-old operator and a 44-year-old man who is believed to be the property owner.
“Through our investigation, we discovered that the former operation’s electricity was supplied by the same property owner that we arrested on November 22,” she said.
The suspects appeared in Nigel Magistrate’s Court on November 23, where they are facing charges of contravention of Act 37 of 2005 of the precious metals act, illegal dealing in gold refining.
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