Stabilisation operations in the province continue to bring more suspects to book. This is after various police units arrested five more suspects in Klerksdorp during an operation on Wednesday, 20 November 2018, for illegal mining activities. During this operation, 3 tons of copper, two firearms, ammunition, furniture, groceries, mining equipment and tools were confiscated.
The arrest came seven days after illegal miners shot at the police and fled into one of disused Shiva Mine Shaft near Hartbeesfontein on Thursday, 15 November 2018. At the time of the incident, the police were conducting a multi disciplinary operation to address illegal mining.
One of the police officers was seriously injured and admitted at the hospital while the other sustained minor injuries.
Since the commencement of the stabilisation operations in the Klerksdorp Cluster on 6 October 2018, 85 arrests were made for various offences including illicit mining (47 arrests), possession of gold bearing material, seven arrests for unlicensed firearms. It was during the operations that 31 suspected undocumented persons were taken in for processing.
The total amount of goods including gold dust recovered is estimated at about R5,1 million.
The North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane commended the police and other role players for their cooperation and commitment that led to the successes. She said that multidisciplinary operations will continue to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
