Illegal mining ‘kingpins’ among 20 arrested in North West
Suspected illegal mining kingpins were among a group of people arrested during a takedown operation by police and Hawks in Stilfontein on Monday.
Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the small town in North West on Tuesday.
Cele said five of the suspects hail from South Africa, while 13 are Lesotho nationals, one is from eSwatini and one from Zimbabwean.
"We believed that we arrested the top guys, top governance of that group. They had wifi and cell phones and most of you are running around crying for wifi."
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Police seized 15 AK47s, scores of hunting rifles, shotguns and boxes full of ammunition, explosives and an undisclosed amount of money during the raid.
Police have not ruled out the possibility of more arrests.
The suspects are expected to appear in the Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
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