Cape Town – Northern Cape’s police Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Koliswa Otola executed a three in one joint multi-disciplinary operation with the main focus on illicit mining at Nuttabooi and Bontekoei and the town of Kleinsee.
The operations were led by the Deputy National Commissioner for Policing, Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili, the Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Koliswa Otola, senior officers from the National and Provincial Management and the Namakwa District Commander, Brig Schalk Andrews.
The multi-disciplinary operation was conducted in the Namakwa area and dealt illegal diamond miners a hard blow following a crime intelligence driven operation that was executed over three days which commenced on 13 January 2023 and ended Monday.
According to the police spokesperson, Brigadier Mashay Gamieldien, the operation has resulted to a total of 82 persons for various offences.
“The operation focused on illegal mining activities in the Port Nolloth and Kleinsee areas during which numerous digging equipment and implements including generator s, jigsaws and power tools as well as bags of diamond bearing gravel were seized,”
“Various SAPS stations and units within the Namakwa district, provincial components and specialized units participated in the execution of the operation with the assistance of Immigration officials who were on site to process the undocumented persons,”
On Sunday, Several suspected drug houses were seized in Okiep, Nababeep, Steinkopf, and Concordia, with booze recovered and the owner fined.
“The local traffic department assisted the police during a static roadblock that was conducted on Monday on the N7 between Springbok and Steinkopf during which 268 vehicles were stopped and searched and several traffic fines were issued for traffic violations,”
“Two male suspects aged 31 and 23 respectively were arrested at the roadblock after being found in possession of dagga with an estimated street value of R30 000 and the two will soon appear in the Springbok Magistrates court,” Gamieldien said.
Gamieldien said that 74 undocumented persons were arrested for Contravention of the Immigration Act, five (5) for Trespassing, 1 for Possession of an uncut diamond and 2 for dealing in dagga.
All detainees will be appearing in the Port Nolloth and Springbok court's respectively and the undocumented persons were escorted to the Lindela Holding facility in Krugersdorp for repatriation to their respective county of origin.
“Police choppers from the Western Cape, Gauteng and the Free State assisted the ground forces with aerial support by directing members on the ground to the execution points in the mining area,”
“Coastal patrols were conducted with the 7,8 metre Ballistic Rubber duck along the Port Nolloth and Alexander Bay shoreline. Aerial patrols were also piloted along the RSA or Namibian borderline along the Orange River,” Gamieldien added.
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