Rustenburg - Twenty suspected illegal miners were arrested and 15 high calibre guns were seized in Stilfontein, North West, on Monday.
The arrest followed a morning raid led by the Hawks at a mine shaft following a week of observations.
“The operation follows weeks of surveillance into the alleged illegal mining activities of the suspects resulting in the arrest of 20 suspects and the seizure of 15 AK47s, six hunting rifles, two shotguns and one R5, boxes full of ammunition, explosives and an undisclosed amount of money,” said Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale.
She said the operation was ongoing and cannot rule out the possibility of more arrests and more seizures.
They were expected to make their first appearance in the Stilfontein Magistrate's Court on Wednesday where they will be facing preliminary charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of prohibited firearms, possession of ammunition and contravention of the Immigration Act.
In Limpopo, the Hawks said a stockpile of chrome valued at R600 000 was seized on October 6 in Tjibeng.
It was suspected that the stockpiles were built up by illegal miners in the area with the aim of transporting them at a later stage for business purposes.
No arrest was made in connection with the stockpiles.
IOL