THE Gauteng police continue to flush out illegal mining activities in the province.
This comes after they discovered a huge illegal mining plant during their operation O Kae Molao on Thursday, 22 September.
They also found drugs worth more than R200 000 during the operation in Springs, Ekurhuleni.
Provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela said the plant was discovered where 14 illegal foreign nationals were found processing gold-bearing material with heavy-duty machinery.
A multidisciplinary team went into an industrial area and made the discovery.
“Fourteen undocumented foreign nationals were arrested after they were found hard at work, processing gold-bearing material. Police seized heavy-duty equipment used for illegal mining and flattened the area,” he said.
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Mawela added that the operation also had another successful arrest, where drugs worth thousands of rands and suspected stolen cars were recovered.
He said the operation started on Wednesday evening when detectives started tracing the wanted suspects.
“More than 900 suspects who have been on run after committing various crimes were found and put behind bars. The second phase of the operation, on Thursday, started with a roadblock on the N12 Highway. A car was stopped and upon searching it, Mandrax tablets with an estimated street value of R100 000 were recovered,” he said.
Mawela said the suspect, who is a foreign national, led the police to Primrose in Ekurhuleni, where more drugs worth more than R150 000 were recovered.
“At the roadblock, police also recovered a car reported to be stolen, and arrested more than 20 undocumented foreign nationals. More than five cars, suspected to be stolen and hijacked, were recovered in a panel beater in Springs.”
