Rustenburg – Three suspected illegal miners were arrested in Stilfontein, North West police said on Friday.
“The arrest came after the team made a follow-up on information about explosions frequently heard in the farms around Buffeldooring Road. The team was approaching the area when they saw several people running and disappeared amongst the rocks. The team discovered an open tunnel that made them suspicious that there might be illegal mining being conducted in the area,” said police spokesperson Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone.
A group consisting of a rescue dog, its handler and other officers also descended underground through the tunnel.
“On arrival, they discovered a generator, a bottle of petrol, pots, metal plate and bags of gold sand. Three suspects, all foreign nationals from Zimbabwe as well as Mozambique respectively, aged 20 and 25, were arrested.”
The underground tunnel where the men were arrested was an old Quest Mine that was closed several years ago.
The three were arrested on Thursday and were expected to appear in the Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court soon.
The multi-disciplinary team was made of the Stilfontein Visible Policing, Organised Crime, Tactical Response Team, Stilfontein K9 Unit, Potchefstroom Public Order Policing, Security officials from mines, Telkom, Eskom and Transnet.
African News Agency
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