News24 reports that a plot in the south of Joburg where 14 people were caught allegedly processing gold illegally, was on the radar of undercover police officers for a few weeks before Wednesday's takedown.

A source close to the investigation said the Hawks received a tip-off from concerned residents about suspicious activities at the plot. "They became suspicious after seeing construction trucks carrying what they thought was soil to the plot almost daily. Then alerted law enforcement officials, who informed the Hawks about the suspicious activities at the plot. A date was set for the takedown operation. The big fish are at large. They were not present when the Hawks arrived at the plot," the source indicated. In a statement from Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha, it emerged that the arrests were carried out after complaints from the community in and around Eikenhof. "The hive of activities nestled in plots on either side of R554 road were immediately stopped. Tons of soil with gold-bearing material valued at over R2.5 million was recovered and removed from the scene by our mining sector stakeholders," Ramovha stated. Thirteen of the 14 people arrested have appeared in court and the fourteenth is in hospital. The case was postponed to 22 August so that the Hawks could confirm whether the accused were in the country legally, verify their passports, and confirm their home addresses. The owner of the Eikenhof plot, which has a market value of more than R5 million, is also under investigation.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24 (registration required)

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page