Four more arrested as police continues fight against illegal mining in Limpopo
The police continues to clamp down on illegal mining operations in the the province through various disruptive operations.
LIMPOPO – Separate multi-disciplinary police operations conducted in the province has led to the arrest of thirteen suspected zama zamas in the last eight days. Police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said the operations focused on addressing the scourge of illegal mining in the Mopani and Sekhukhune districts.
Read more: Illegal miners keep digging despite the danger
The latest arrest followed a disruptive operation which was conducted by members of Public Order Policing in the Apel policing area on Tuesday, July 6. “The members spotted three trucks along the R37 and pulled them over. The trucks were searched and found to be transporting suspected unprocessed chrome.”
During the operation the police arrested four suspects, aged between 23 and 34, and confiscated the truck and minerals, Mojapelo said.
The suspects, three foreign nationals and a South African resident, will appear in the Sekhukhune Magistrate’s court today on charges related to illegal mining.
Meanwhile in Giyani the police assisted by members of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit arrested nine suspected illegal miners on June 28 and confiscated mining equipment to the value of R4 000.
“A multi-disciplinary operation led by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team assisted by Giyani Cluster, Public Order Policing, Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, Department of Home Affairs and Department of Environmental Affairs swooped in on illegal miners who were caught in the act of mining gold concentrate.”
During the operations the police arrested nine men on charges related to illegal mining and confiscated mining equipment to the value of R4 000.
Mojapelo said the arrested suspects appeared in the Giyani Magistrate’s Court on 29 June. The court update is not yet known.
The provincial police commissioner, Lt Genl Thembi Hadebe commended the teams for their efforts and said the arrests will go a long way in eradicating illegal mining activities in the province.
