Briefly News reports that police stopped an illegal mining operation in Eikenhof in Johannesburg after swooping in on and arresting 14 suspects. It followed a multifaceted law-enforcement operation in response to multiple community complaints.
According to police information, the suspects, all Zimbabwean nationals aged between 26 and 51, will make their first appearance in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday. They will be charged with illegal possession of unwrought precious metals and contravening the Immigration and Environmental Acts. Police spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha said the Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit, based in the West Rand, descended on the illegal facilities with a search warrant at about 10:00. "The hive of activity on either side of the R554 road was immediately halted. Police recovered tonnes of soil [containing] gold-bearing material worth over R2.5 million," said Ramovha. The provincial head of the Hawks in Gauteng, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, praised the multidisciplinary team effort. "Such facilities, especially in residential areas, pose a health and environmental risk. Using cyanide to extract gold in an unregulated environment is disastrous. [The adverse] impact of the illegal activities on the economy [is detrimental]," Kadwa said.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tshepiso Mametela at Briefly News
- See too, Fourteen arrested after police swoop on illicit mining operation, at News24 (registration required)
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