The Police in Limpopo together with other law enforcement agencies arrested 115 suspects, during the high density, multi-disciplinary Operation Shanela (Kukula) conducted from Monday, 20 January until Sunday, 26 January 2025.
The suspects were charged with offences such as illegal mining, contravention of the immigration act, employing of illegal foreigners and possession of presumed stolen property.
The law enforcement agencies consisting of members from:
▶️South African Defence Force (SANDF), Traffic Police, SARS, Department of Minerals and Energy, Home Affairs, Department of Trade and Industry amongst others.
The operations were executed through high visibility patrols, roadblocks, stop and searches, vehicle check points, tracing of wanted suspects, compliance of inspections at second hand dealers, scrapyards and informal business such as spaza shops.
During the operation, some of the arrests were effected as follows:-
▶️23 illegal mining,
▶️ 52 illegal immigrants,
▶️ 01 for employing an illegal foreigner,
▶️ 02 dealing in drugs,
▶️ 22 selling/importing for sale of tobacco product not in package/without warning concerning health hazard quantities of constituents in product stated on package-read with S7 (3).
▶️ 01 possession of presumed stolen property (raw minerals chrome).
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The Police in Limpopo also managed to confiscate the following items:
▶️06x bags of suspected precious minerals,
▶️ 35x sachets of dagga,
▶️ 18x sachets of nyaope,
▶️ 22x sachets of crystal meth,
▶️ R391.00 in cash
▶️15x shovels,
▶️ 18 dangerous weapons,
▶️ 08x spade,
▶️03x picks,
▶️ 147x cigarettes cartoons,
▶️ 287x cigarettes packs.
Some of the arrested suspects have already started to appear before their local Magistrate's court.
The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has welcomed the arrests.
