Hawks arrested a foreign national suspect (41) for illegal mining related offence, contravening the Immigration Act and seized mining equipment valued at about R3 million at Giyani Section A on 14 November 2024.
The suspect was arrested during an intervention dubbed “Operation Green” which was conducted by the Polokwane based Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Giyani based Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC), State Security Agency and South African Diamond and Precious Medal Regulator (SADPMR).
The operation is aimed at dismantling all the scourges of the illegal mining activities in the Giyani and Malamulele areas of the Mopani District.
During the operation, the team went to one of the farms, where they found a man refining gold. During the interview, it was established that he is a Mozambican national, and he does not have documents to be in South Africa. He was immediately put under arrest.
The following mining equipment was found and seized: loads of dumps, hosepipes, shovels, build-in leaching tanks, chemical containers, a phenduka, a wheelbarrow, water tanks and refined gold.
The suspect expected to appear in the Giyane Magistrates Court on 15 November 2024 to face charges of contravention of the Immigration Act and contravention of the Precious Medal Act. Operation green is still ongoing within Limpopo Province.
The Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Major General (Adv) Gopz Govender praised the team for the excellent work done.
