Zircon estimated to be worth R300 000 was confiscated by the police in the Ekurhuleni district in collaboration with private security companies in Alberton on July 12.
Captain Amanda van Wyk from SAPS said that a team made up of detectives from Ekurhuleni Serious and Violent Crimes, officers from nearby police stations, and security personnel, used information they had on a shipment of more than 100 bags of the semi-precious mineral zircon, that was travelling from Richards Bay to Gauteng.
A search of an address in Alberton resulted in the recovery of shipping containers with bags of zircon.
Van Wyk said that further investigations are still underway.
More information
Zircon is a common accessory trace mineral component found in igneous rocks of all types, but especially in granite and felsic igneous rocks.
Zircon is a frequent component of most sands and survives in sedimentary deposits due to its hardness, endurance, and chemical inertness.
