Police flushed out 16 illegal miners in the North West

The South African Police arrested 16 alleged illegal miners during a multi-disciplinary operation on Wednesday, 22 February 2023, at Quest Mine in Beffeldoorn Road in the North West.

ILLEGAL MINERS ARRESTED QUEST MINE

Members of the Hawks, the North West Airwing, Explosives Unit, Cluster IMTT, Public Order Policing, Tactical Response Team, Crime Prevention Unit, the Local Criminal Record Centre, and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy formed part of the operation, which resulted in the police arresting the illegal miners.

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POLICE FOLLOWED INFORMATION ON THE MINERS

Police spokesperson Captain Tlangelani Rikhotso said the team followed up on information regarding the alleged illegal mining activities at Quest Mine, situated just off Buffeldoorn Road.

The police managed to flush out sixteen alleged illegal miners from underground.

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Rikhotso says activities were done through a heavy-duty industrial generator supported by smaller generators. It was strategically located at multiple processing stations for gold-bearing material,” says

During the arrest of the 16 illegal miners, police also seized two illegal firearms, explosive cartridges, detonating cords, capped fuses, and four generators.

POLICE SEIZED 23 BUCKETS OF GOLD

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Police confiscated illegal mining paraphernalia, consisting of 23 buckets of gold-bearing material, electric mills, heavy-duty electrical equipment, water pumps, diesel, and large amounts of food.

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According to the police, the suspected illegal miners were due in the Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 23 February 2023.

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