Update: Riverlea illegal mining national intervention 79 suspects arrested

The police operations in Riverlea have since Tuesday, 1 August, resulted in the arrest of 79 suspects.

Sixty-nine suspects are undocumented persons, one for possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition, the other one for possession of ammunition, five for possession of suspected stolen property and three for common assault.

The police have also seized an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, explosives, gas cylinders, gold bearing sand, alcohol from an illegal shebeen, among other things.

The police in the West Rand, Fochville, on the other hand have, through an intelligence led take down managed to arrest four Basotho Nationals for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

During the arrest the police seized an AK-47 rifle, with a lot of ammunition and four handguns also with an assortment of ammunition. The operations will continue until Riverlea’s illegal mining activities have been stabilised.