SAPS and SANDF arrest 30 in Mohlakeng operation

Thirty people have been arrested in Mohlakeng on Gauteng’s West Rand after a joint police and military operation uncovered equipment allegedly linked to illegal mining activities.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) in Gauteng, working alongside the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), conducted Operation Prosper in Mohlakeng on Monday, 7 September, with suspects arrested for offences ranging from illegal mining to alleged breaches of immigration law.

The operation also brought a substantial haul of suspected illegal mining equipment into police custody, including generators, jackhammers, water pumps, drill bits and explosives.

The 30 suspects, aged between 25 and 43, are from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Mozambique.

Police arrested the group in connection with various offences identified during the operation, including illegal mining, possession of illegal mining equipment and contraventions of the Immigration Act.

Among the items recovered were 44 generators, along with pendukas, jackhammers, spades, stamps, stamp pots, drill bits and water pumps.

Police also recovered detonating cords and explosives during the operation, adding a significant safety dimension to the enforcement effort.

The joint operation follows a separate recovery in Mohlakeng on Sunday, 6 September.

Authorities recovered 21 abandoned generators and eight jackhammers that had been left in the area. The equipment is believed to be connected to illegal mining activities in Mohlakeng.

Operation Prosper is expected to continue targeting illegal mining networks, with SAPS and the SANDF focusing on disrupting and dismantling activities associated with the sector.

The 30 arrested suspects are expected to appear before the Randfontein Magistrate’s Court once they have been formally processed.

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Source: SAPS