Five people aged between 38 and 47 appeared in the Oberholzer Magistrate’s Court in Carletonville for allegedly being in possession of gold-bearing material and precious metals weighing more than 100 tons.
The arrest was made by the West Rand-based Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit along with the Carletonville Police, detectives, and Sibanye Stillwater Protection services over the weekend.
Police spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said a security officer at Sibanye Protection Services was on duty conducting a patrol with other officers on October 22 when they noticed a tractor-loader backhoe (TLB) and frontend loader trucks loading soil.
“Upon questioning the suspects, no paperwork was produced and no instruction was given to the security guards by the mine. The mine also did not know of the gold-bearing materials that had to be loaded and transported. A TLB, frontend loader, frontline interlink truck, and unwrought precious metals weighing 120 tons were seized.
“The suspects will be facing charges of theft of gold-bearing materials, possession of suspected stolen property, illegal possession of unwrought precious metals, contravention of the Mining Rights Act [illegal mining], trespassing, and contravention of the Immigration Act.”
