Stolen RBM minerals recovered at Joburg warehouse
There's a search for the
owner of a Johannesburg warehouse where millions of rands' worth of minerals stolen
from northern KZN have been recovered.
Police say the R15 million haul of zircon and chloride was mined by Richards Bay Minerals.
It's understood they were diverted from the Richards Bay Harbour, while RBM's shipments were replaced with fake minerals.
The stolen zircon and chloride were stored at the Johannesburg property where they were being repackaged to be sold to international buyers.
National SAPS spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, says a task team pounced on the illicit operation on Wednesday.
"This is the second recovery of minerals worth millions for the team. In March 2024, the team also found minerals at a Durban warehouse. The driver of the truck and the owner of the warehouse have since been arrested."
“The team is also investigating the assassination of executives in the area. So far, 202 unlicensed firearms have been seized, 43 suspects have been arrested and 68 dockets are currently under investigation. Our intelligence remains on the ground to put a stop to these illegal activities in the mining sector.”
Mathe says National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola, has applauded the work of the task team.