Illegal miners get almost 700 years imprisonment

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Hawks intelligence operation which led to the arrest of 87 illegal miners has resulted in positive prosecution.

Hawks Spokesperson Captain Tlangelani Rikhotso said the miners were arrested during a multi-disciplinary operation at Shaft 2 in Orkney on 20 October 2021 assisted by the Special Task Force and the District Illicit Mining Task Team.

“The operation was a culmination of months of surveillance after the illegal miners took control of a dormant shaft.”

“During the operation, a shoot-out between the police and the illegal miners ensued, resulting in six illegal miners being fatally wounded and eight injured.”

“Illegal mining paraphernalia, gold bearing material, two mini buses, eleven firearms (3x shotguns, 4 x pistols, 3 x rifles and 1 x revolver), about 4000 cartridges of ammunition and bags of food were seized.”

Making the plea in court, they all pleaded and was eventually sentenced to a combined 696 years imprisonment by the Stilfontein Regional Court.

They had been in police custody since their arrest.