Pretoria: A joint police operation looking into illegal mining in Gauteng’s east rand has ended in the successful arrest of six men in Thokoza, Ekurhuleni.

The six suspects were arrested by members of the South African Police Service’s National Investigative Unit (NINU) and crime intelligence, together with other colleagues from the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department.

Three of the suspects are from Lesotho and the other three are South Africans. Their ages range from 33 and 35 and they have all been charged with illegal mining and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Apart from their illegal mining activities, the suspects were also found in possession of a rifle and ammunition belonging to an AK47 and R5 rifles. They are expected to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court tomorrow (2016/03/03).