Pretoria: Seven suspects are expected to appear in the Pilgrim's Rest Periodical Court today after being found without the valid documentation to be in the country, police said.
According to South African Government News Agency, the South African Police Service (SAPS) issued a statement on Monday detailing that the individuals, aged between 15 and 43, were apprehended on Saturday. The arrests were made by multidisciplinary teams deployed under Operation Vala Umgodi in Mpumalanga.
The statement further elaborated that the suspects were detained during disruptive operations conducted in the Pilgrim's Rest area. Out of the seven, six individuals were arrested for lacking valid documentation to stay in South Africa, while the seventh suspect was fined for contravening the Immigration Act related to the employment of undocumented persons.
Additionally, the operation led to the discovery of abandoned illicit mining equipment, including gas cylinders, wheelbarrows, and oxygen cylinders. The police confirmed that the arrested suspects have been charged with contravening the Immigration Act.