LIMPOPO – The fight against illegal mining has yielded a major breakthrough when two alleged kingpins were arrested by members the Organized Crime Unit on Friday evening, reports the police.
According to a statement issued by Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, the two suspects aged 40 and 62-years-old are from Pretoria and Rustenburg respectively and have been linked to illegal mining activities, including buying and exporting chrome to foreign countries.
Their arrests follows a high density operation comprising officials from the Department of Mineral Recourses and the South African Police Service which was conducted along the R37 road between Lebowakgomo and Burgersfort in May this year.
“The operation was led by the Deputy Provincial Commissioner responsible for Detective Services, Major General Bafana Linda and it yielded instant results when suspects were arrested at different sites in the area. Mining machinery which included excavations, TLBs and trucks as well as unprocessed chrome were confiscated.”
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Members of the Provincial Organized Crime Unit launched an intelligence driven operation in the Mooihoek area and were following up information that led to the arrest of the two and the confiscation of a Toyota Hilux, laptops and other materials.
The Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba commended all members who were involved in this major success.
The suspects will appear in Lebowakgomo on Monday 24 July on charges related to the contravention of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Act and the National Environmental Maintenance Act.
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