The Operation Vala Umgodi team caught two men “red-handed” engaging in illegal mining activities at the Samaria Road informal settlement in Kimberley.
THE ONGOING crackdown on illegal mining in the Frances Baard District recently yielded another success.
According to Northern Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Merapelo Pilane, the Operation Vala Umgodi task force, led by Captain Neo Maeneche, apprehended two men involved in illicit mining activities at the Samaria Road informal settlement in Kimberley.
Acting on intelligence-driven information, the proactive and combat teams of Operation Vala Umgodi swiftly moved into action on September 25. The suspects, aged 61 and 63, were “caught red-handed” in the act of illegal mining.
The two suspects were arrested and the officers also confiscated mining equipment, including sieves, shovels, and pickaxes, believed to have been used in the illegal operations.
The arrested individuals are set to appear in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court soon.
Sergeant Pilane said that Operation Vala Umgodi remains committed to eradicating illegal mining in the Frances Baard District, highlighting that regular patrols, vehicle checkpoints, and stop-and-search operations are conducted to ensure the continued enforcement of the law.
