Police making arrests during the illegal mining operation. Photo submitted.
A total of 16 suspects were arrested for illegal mining during an operation by police in the West Rand District on Wednesday, 3 February.
According to Sergeant Linkie Lefakane, the Bekkersdal Police spokesperson, suspects were arrested in Waterpan, Zuurbekom and at Donaldson Dam – areas classified as hot spots for illegal mining.
Among those who were arrested were undocumented foreign nationals,” Lefakane added.
During the operation police also found 10 gas cylinders, power tools, buckets filled with gold-bearing materials and garden tools.
All suspects will appear in the Westonaria Magistrates’ Court soon.
Some of the equipment found during the bust. Photo submitted.
Major General Fred Kekana, the West Rand District Police Commissioner praised police for the arrests.
We will not rest until the entire West Rand District is free from illegal miners,” he added.
At Caxton, every story is written by humans. We use AI only to perform quality checks - never to generate the news. Happy reading!
For more than 4 and a half years, Clinton Botha was a journalist at Roodepoort Record. His articles were regularly published in the Northside Chronicle now known as the Roodepoort Northsider. Clinton is also the editor of Randfontein Herald since July 2020. As a sports fanatic he wormed his way into various "beats - as the media would know it - and admits openly that his big love always have something to do with a scoreboard, crowds and usually a ball that hops.
