Three people are expected to appear in the Praktiseer Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo on charges of possession and transportation of precious metals.
The provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said members of the police’s Provincial Illegal Mining Task Team, along with members of the Burgersfort Mining Unrest, arrested the three suspects, aged between 26 and 30, on Tuesday, August 29.
The trio was arrested before 11pm in Burgersfort.
“The police were performing their routine patrols when they spotted a white tipper truck at the four-way stop along R555 Steelpoort. They tactically approached, stopped, and searched the truck with the driver and two occupants,” Ledwaba said.
“The truck was found loaded with chrome. The driver failed to provide the necessary documents for transporting and being in possession of the chrome. The three suspects were arrested. A truck loaded with chrome, both at a value of R80,000 was confiscated,” he said.
The Police Commissioner in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has praised the officers for arresting the suspects as the fight against illegal mining in the province remains ongoing.
The investigation into the possession of the chrome remains ongoing.
Last month, a man was sentenced to an R80,000 fine or a two-year prison term for illegal mining in Limpopo.
Cheng Liang Tom Chen, 48, pleaded guilty on two counts of the illegal mining of chrome. He was sentenced in the Thabazimbi Regional Court.
Chen was bust during an illegal mining operation in Zwartkop Zone 1 in Northam area.
During the operation, the teams seized an excavator, a horse truck with double trailers loaded with chrome, a tipper truck, and two motor vehicles (a Polo and a Mazda) valued at over R5 million.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
IOL