THABAZIMBI - Fourteen alleged illegal miners have been arrested and trucks and trailers loaded with suspected illegally mined chrome ore worth about R15 million have been seized at Thabazimbi in Limpopo, the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the province said.
Members of the SAPS provincial organised crime unit in Limpopo, assisted by SAPS detectives in Thabazimbi and security officers from the Northam Platinum Mine, arrested the 14 suspected illegal miners, aged between 26 and 56, and confiscated eight trucks and trailers loaded with chrome ore in the early hours of Friday morning, SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said in a statement.
The suspects were arrested at about 4am during an Intelligence-driven operation conducted in the Thabazimbi area. The operation followed after information was received in connection with illegal mining activities in the area, Mojapelo said.
Limpopo SAPS provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Nneke Ledwaba had commended the police officers for their "tireless efforts in stamping out these illegal activities", and had also thanked community members for continuing to provide useful information to the police.
The arrested suspects would appear in Thabazimbi Magistrates' Court on Monday, August 17, facing charges in relation to the contravention of the regulations under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Act (illegal mining), Mojapelo said.
On July 24, chrome ore stockpiles and mining machinery estimated to be worth more than R2 million were seized during a swoop by officers from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) serious organised crime investigation unit on an illegal mining operation in the Burgersfort area in Limpopo. The day-long "disruptive operation" was conducted at Modikwa Mine at Burgersfort, the Hawks said at the time.
During the multi-disciplinary operation, which included officers from the SAPS public order policing unit, the local criminal records centre, the K9, national intervention unit, the department of mineral resources, and Modikwa Mine security, 25 chrome ore stockpiles and an excavator, together estimated to be worth more than R2 million, were seized, but no arrests were reported. More high intensity operations to address illegal mining activities in the province were in the pipeline, the Hawks said at the time.
African News Agency (ANA)