According to Lt Col Lungelo Dlamini, SAPS provincial spokesman, 28 illegal immigrants were arrested and illegal mining equipment was seized.
“Several informal settlements where gangs of illegal miners were suspected to be hiding were targeted during the operation,” he says.
A shebeen was also closed and thousands of litres of alcohol was confiscated.
Three generators, 17 pendukas with 23 penduka stands, nine steel pots, 11 steel plates, 11 buckets containing gold dust, two bowls containing gold dust, hammers, gas bottles, garden spades and dangerous weapons were seized during the operation.
Dlamini says this operation follows a similar raid carried out recently where police seized illegal firearms including an R1 rifle with 17 rounds of ammunition and two 9mm pistol with 13 rounds of ammunition.
These firearms are suspected to have been used to kill rival illegal mining gangs and attacks on law enforcement agencies.
“Police will continue with operations in the area while a team of detectives are looking for suspects who were responsible for killing several people in the area” says Dlamini
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