Hawks Bust Mozambican With R3 Million In Illegal Gold And Mining Gear

A 41-year-old foreign national has been arrested for offences related to illegal mining and contravening the Immigration Act. The arrest led to the seizure of mining equipment valued at approximately R3 million in Giyani, Limpopo.

Provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa, confirmed the arrest on Thursday.

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“The suspect was apprehended during an operation dubbed Operation Green, conducted by the Polokwane-based Hawks serious organised crime investigation, Giyani-based Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC), State Security Agency, and the South African Diamond and Precious Metals Regulator (SADPMR). The operation aims to dismantle illegal mining activities in the Giyani and Malamulele areas of the Mopani District,” said Mmuroa.

Arrest Of Mozambican Man And Seized Items

During the operation, law enforcement officials arrived at a farm where they found the suspect refining gold. Upon interviewing him, it was established that he is a Mozambican national without the necessary documentation to be in South Africa. He was immediately placed under arrest.

The seized property includes various items such as dumps, hosepipes, shovels, built-in leaching tanks, chemical containers, a “phenduka” (makeshift equipment used to refine and extract minerals), a wheelbarrow, water tanks, and refined gold.

On Friday, the Mozambican national was expected to appear before the Giyani Magistrate’s Court on charges of contravention of the Immigration Act and the Precious Metals Act.

Official Remarks

Provincial head of the Hawks in Limpopo, Major General Gopz Govender, commended the law enforcement team for their exemplary work. “We salute the law enforcement team for the excellent work done.

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The Hawks in Limpopo remain committed to investigating and bringing all perpetrators of crime to justice without fear or favour,” stated Govender. He also issued a warning to police officers across the province to avoid engaging in corrupt activities.

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