Pretoria: Six individuals have been taken into custody by the Operation Vala uMgodi team in Free State Province following a targeted operation aimed at curbing illegal mining activities in contravention of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA). The arrests were made at Blaawdrift Farm, located near R30 Road in Theunissen.
According to South African Police Service, the operation was intelligence-driven and resulted in the arrest of three suspects, aged 20, 31, and 32, who were discovered actively mining sand at the targeted location. Law enforcement officials confiscated a White FAW Star truck that was loaded with sand at the scene.
An additional three suspects, aged 34, 35, and 41, were also apprehended in the vicinity of Blaawdrift Farm. Authorities seized a White Mercedes Benz Tipper Lorry and a CAT Tractor Loader Backhoe (TLB) as part of their efforts to disrupt the illegal mining activities.
A case docket citing Contravention of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002, along with The Precious Metals Act 37 of 2005 Section 4(1), has been opened at the Theunissen Police Station. The suspects are scheduled to appear in Theunissen Magistrate Court on Monday, 19 May 2025.