Six individuals suspected of engaging in illegal mining were arrested after they were found digging in Muchipisi village, Limpopo.
Police spokesperson Hlulani Mashaba said that four of the suspects are facing additional charges for contravening the Immigration Act.
According to Mashaba, the group was arrested on December 31.
During the arrest, police seized various mining tools allegedly used in the commission of the crime, including a generator, three spades, a shovel, three hammers, a wheelbarrow, four pendukas, two picks and two fan belts.
According to Mashaba, preliminary investigations suggest that four of the apprehended individuals are undocumented foreign nationals.
“The suspects are expected to appear before the Malamulele Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday,” he said.
Meanwhile, political incompetence and corruption within government and the criminal justice system are believed to be the reason for the rise of illegal mining in South Africa.
Political parties and criminal experts say the situation is an example of how such incompetence and corruption have destroyed law and order in the country.
Many illegal mining operations are driven by organised crime syndicates, with links to the illegal trade in firearms and explosives, as well as human smuggling and trafficking.
The syndicates are highly sophisticated and operate intricate buying and selling networks.
IOL