Man dies during illegal mining arrest

A police operation that descended on an illegal mining operation in West Rand on Tuesday resulted in the shooting death of one person and the arrest of 46 of his companions.

The operation was a part of ongoing law enforcement initiatives, according to Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Philani Nkwalase.

The West Rand Hawks Serious Organized Crime Investigation team, the South African Police Service (SAPS) Airwing, K9 unit, Crime Intelligence (CI), Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC), and the Forensic Science Laboratory were also involved in the operation.

Officials from Eskom, Sibanye Stillwater Protection Services, G4S and Fidelity Security Helicopters, and the Gauteng Traffic Saturation Unit were also involved in the operation.

The surgery, according to Nkwalase, “resulted in a resounding success.”

Eight locations in Krugersdorp and Randfontein were simultaneously searched and seized during the search and seizure operation, which was attended by the Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele, MP, as well as the Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, the Hawks Gauteng Provincial Head, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, and the District Commissioner of West Rand, Major General Kekana.

“A total of 46 individuals were taken into custody, and one was gravely injured.

The suspects include foreign individuals from nearby nations, and an investigation into their whereabouts in the nation is currently underway.

Additionally, Nkwalase added, “700 tonnes of gold-bearing material worth more than R2.5 million was discovered in five of the illegal plants uncovered and 20 cell phones were seized for further investigation.

The suspects will likely be charged with violating the Precious Metals Act 37 of 2005, the Mining Health and Safety Act 29 of 1996, the Mineral and Petroleum Recourses Development Act 28 of 2002, and maybe the Immigrations Act 13 of 2002 when they appear in court soon.