-Edited by Bev Mortimer- The Hawks were assisted by actical Operations Management Section (TOMS), National Intervention Unit (NIU), Airwing unit, Illegal Mining Task Team, Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) and Tyte Security.
At the first illegal chrome mine at Tweelaagte about R9-million of mining equipment was seized, and at the second mine at Skeerpoort valuable mining equipment and precious metals of an unknown value were seized.
At the Tweelaagte mine the Hawks follow up on info received about suspects allegedly mining chrome without environmental authorisation from DMRE. The Hawks acted swiftly and conducted an operation aimed at curbing these illegal mining activities.
On arrival at the illegal mine, the team pounced on suspects busy operating excavators. The suspects fled on foot leaving behind excavators and an interlink truck loaded with chrome. Six excavators, one interlink truck containing 36 tons of chrome, one low-bed truck, three dump trucks and 50 tons pile of chrome were seized.
In the second disruptive operation at Skeerpoort farm in Rustenburg, the Hawks acted on info received about suspects illegally mining gold. The suspects fled upon spotting the SAPS, abandoning their equipment of a Firman FPG 4800 generator, a Bosch jack hammer, three garden spades, two Bosch grinders, fourteen chisels and one panga. Suspected precious metals material found at the scene were seized and sent to the lab for testing.
The Provincial Head for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Patrick Mbotho, commended Hawks’ and its team’s efforts to clamp down on illegal mining activities in the area.
Photos: SAPS
St Francis Chronicle 