A 44-year-old KwaZulu-Natal truck driver is expected to appear in the Empangeni Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, following allegations he was found with stolen minerals worth millions of rand.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the suspect was allegedly found in possession of stolen Zircon and Chloride minerals worth R15.5 million on Monday.
“An SAPS task team that had been deployed to the Richards Bay area to prevent and combat theft of minerals as well as the assassination of mining executives was following up on information of a truck loaded with stolen minerals.
“The abandoned truck was recovered in the Kwambonambi area.”
Mathe said further investigations led the team to an address in Durban where the minerals were found.
“It was later discovered that the minerals had been stolen from Richards Bay Minerals (RBM).
A case of theft of minerals is under investigation.
Mathe said since the deployment of this task team to Richards Bay, a total of 43 accused have since been arrested for charges ranging from murder, theft, trespassing, possession of suspected stolen property, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, fraud and intimidation.
The SAPS said they were currently investigating 68 dockets.
“Forty-seven of these cases are before the various courts.”
In the past three years, police also confiscated 202 firearms in the area, which includes rifles, handguns and shotguns.
“Two weeks ago, Police Minister Bheki Cele, together with the national commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola, met with the business community in the area where all parties jointly committed to strengthening working relations and deploying more police officers to the area to prevent and combat acts of criminality related to the mining sector,” Mathe said.
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