In the ongoing fight against illegal mining, the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation in North West working in tender with their counterparts in Mpumalanga and Gauteng resulted in six suspects aged 34 and 44 being arrested.
In a multi-disciplinary intelligence-driven operation, dubbed ‘Ginger’ the team which includes DPCI’s Serious Organised Crime Investigation from North West, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and Free State assisted by Digital Forensic Laboratories, SAPS Forensic Science Laboratories and Local Criminal Record Centre embarked on a dawn raid which saw six suspects arrested and eight premises being searched in both Mpumalanga and Gauteng simultaneously.
The operation is a culmination of investigations and evidence gathering following an armed robbery at a gold mine in Stilfontein in 2019 wherein large quantities of gold were stolen. The Serious Organised Crime team worked tirelessly in identifying the suspects, tracing the gold to the refinery where it’s reported to be legitimised. The quantum value involved is approximately R1 billion.
Eight premises were searched where four vehicles that were bought in cash were confiscated as the investigation continues.
The suspects will be appearing in court soon answering charges relating to the Contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, theft, fraud, possession, and illegal dealing in precious metals.