The joint Law Enforcement Agencies through Operation Vala Umgodi on Wednesday afternoon, 21 February 2024, have seized nine inflatable boats at Chirumbu east of Musina in Vhembe District.
Members of the SAPS K9 Unit, Border Policing Teams and the SANDF followed information about smuggling of illegal immigrants and counterfeit goods at the sandbank of Limpopo River. The suspects evaded arrest by fleeing on foot upon realizing that they were being cornered, abandoning inflatable boats. Subsequently, Police seized the boats, which are expected to be disposed of.
Additionally in a separate incident, three undocumented foreign males aged between 18 and 33 years were arrested at Nhlaniki village outside Giyani in Mopani District in the early hours of the same date for illegal mining and contravention of immigration act.
During the operation, the team pounced on the three suspects at an illegal mining site while digging precious minerals underground at about 02:00 in the morning.
The team confiscated mining equipment that included spades and a shovel.
The suspects have briefly appeared before Giyani Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 22 February 2024.
The three suspects were remanded in custody and their cases were postponed for further investigations to different dates as follows Innocent Mazukana (33) to 28 February, George Sithole (28) to 26 February and Thomas Makwuenda (32) to 17 April 2024.
