On 1 November 2024, a multidisciplinary operation, "Vala Umgodi," led by the illicit mining task team, resulted in the arrest of four individuals in Sekhukhune District for illegal sand mining. The operation, which took place around 08:00, was an intelligence-driven initiative involving multiple units, including the National Intervention Unit, Technical Response Team (TRT), Public Order Policing (POP), and the Organized Crime Investigation Unit.
The team targeted an area in Letebejane, within the Rakgoadi policing zone, where they discovered four suspects, aged between 39 and 49, actively engaged in illegal sand mining. The suspects were arrested on-site and are scheduled to appear in the Motetema Magistrate's Court soon.
During the arrest, officers received a tip-off regarding illicit cigarette sales by foreign nationals in the vicinity. Acting on this information, the team proceeded to a nearby location, where they apprehended two suspects and seized multiple boxes of illicit cigarettes.
In a separate incident, the task team received intelligence about abandoned firearms. Following this lead, they searched a remote spot in Mamphokgo village, also under Rakgoadi SAPS jurisdiction, where they uncovered two 9mm pistols, three magazines, and fourteen rounds of ammunition. These items were immediately confiscated.
The list of seized items includes:
- 1 pick
- 1 spade
- 4 shovels
- 2 9mm pistols
- 3 magazines
- 14 rounds of ammunition
- Several boxes of illicit cigarettes
The police have launched an investigation to trace the origins of the firearms and assess any possible links to other criminal activities.
