Johannesburg – Police on Thursday swooped on a huge illegal mining plant in Springs where suspected illegal migrants were arrested after they were found processing gold.
Police said as part of Operation O Kae Molao, a multidisciplinary team of law enforcers went to an industrial area in Springs, where an illegal mining plant was bust.
“Fourteen undocumented foreign nationals were arrested after they were found hard at work processing gold-bearing material,” said the police in a statement.
Police said they seized heavy-duty equipment used for illegal mining and flattened the area.
Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, led another successful Operation O Kae Molao, where drugs worth thousands of rand and suspected stolen cars were found.
The operation started with the roadblock on the N12 Highway.
A car was stopped and upon searching it, mandrax tablets with an estimated street value of R100 000 were found.
“The suspect, who is a foreign national, led the police to Primrose in Ekurhuleni, where more drugs worth more than R150 000 were recovered,” the statement said.
“At a the roadblock, police recovered a car reported to be stolen and arrested more than 20 undocumented foreign nationals.”
Police said more than five cars that are suspected to be stolen and hijacked were recovered in one of the panel beaters in Springs.
BUST: Police have uncovered an illegal gold processing plant in Springs and arrested a person at a roadblock on the N2 found who was found with Mandrax tablets worth about R100 000
