Gut instinct and common knowledge help unravel criminality by pulling at the common thread.
Florida Police, under the Operation Kopano banner, raided the Rugby Club informal settlement, June 9. Commonly known as Jerusalema, the informal settlement has been heavily connected with illegal mining as well as being a haven for criminal elements. Together with Crime Intelligence, police recovered a host of illegal mining implements and stolen items.
They confiscated 19 phendukas, which are steel cylinders with openings cut into them, and are a key apparatus in the processing of illegally mined ore. Five pots, four motors, three generators, two gas cylinders, a large diesel motor, one 9kg gas cylinder and a 19kg cylinder were also among the significant items confiscated. Additionally, one zinc bath, one crusher, electrical cords, a bucket of steel balls, two shovels and a pickaxe were among the contraband.
Police also pounced upon a room believed to be operating as an illegal tavern, where almost 60 x 750ml bottles of beer and cider were confiscated. The operation forms part of Florida Police’s continued effort to tackle hotspots in and around the Florida area, with Colonel Amos Tsotetsi hailing the ‘partnership in policing’ strategy.
