Picture: The illegal miners arrested/Generic
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Lieutenant Col, Sergio Kock said, in an effort to address the ongoing illegal mining in Kimberley, they have established a multi-disciplinary team that executed an illegal mining operation on 8 November 2023.
Kock said a concerted intelligence-driven operation focusing on illegal mining in Kimberley, netted 14 undocumented persons and confiscated a significant amount of mining equipment. He further said the police from the Frances Baard District, Crime Intelligence unit, K9 Unit, Flying Squad, Tactical Response Team, Mounted unit, Ekapa Mine Security, Sol Plaatje Security, Local Traffic and the Department of Home Affairs executed the operation.
“Undocumented persons from Lesotho and Zimbabwe comprising 11 men and 3 women, were arrested at the Kenilworth mining area, close to Samaria Road in Kimberley,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Frances Baard District Commissioner, Maj Gen Johan Bean, commended the police and reiterated that illegal mining is one of the priorities the police will be focusing on during the festive season and beyond.
The Guardian 