Two people were arrested for being in possession of gold-bearing material during a multi-agency operation targeting illegal mining activities in Kagiso on June 10.

The operation, known as Operation Prosper, was conducted by the South African Police Service (SAPS), with support from Crime Intelligence and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). It forms part of an ongoing nationwide effort to combat illegal mining and the criminal networks associated with it.

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According to Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Dimakatso Sello, officers also recovered and confiscated abandoned equipment commonly used in illegal mining operations.

The recovery of these items forms part of SAPS’s efforts to dismantle illegal mining networks, disrupt related criminal activities and restore law and order in affected communities,” said Sello.

She added that information provided by witnesses and affected residents played an important role in the arrests and recovery of equipment.

Illegal mining remains a major challenge in parts of Gauteng, where abandoned mine shafts are often exploited by criminal groups. Authorities have intensified operations in recent years to curb illegal mining activities, which are frequently linked to other serious crimes.

Operation Prosper is being conducted across several provinces, including Gauteng, the Free State, North West, Eastern Cape and Western Cape, with law enforcement and security agencies deployed to identified high-risk areas.

According to police, the operation has already resulted in more than 1 300 arrests nationwide for offences ranging from murder and assault to illegal mining-related crimes.

Investigations into the arrests are continuing.