A 31-year-old man was taken into custody and appeared in the Protea Magistrates’ Court on Friday, March 10, on charges of illegally manufacturing precious metals.
According to the Hawks’ Ndivhuwo Mulamu, the Hawks acted on a tip-off and raided a house in Lenasia, South of Johannesburg.
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In a statement, Mulamu said police pounced on the lab on Wednesday, March 8, night.
When they arrived at the house they discovered a clandestine lab with gold and platinum being processed.
Officers seized the precious metals and manufacturing equipment.
“Unprocessed gold, gold concentrate material, gold nuggets, unprocessed platinum, refined platinum and manufacturing equipment at an estimated value of R5 million were seized.”
Hawks boss, Mthandazo Ntlemeza, congratulated his officers, the South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau and police crime intelligence on the bust.
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“Illegal mining is a serious concern and we warn those engaging in such activities that we are coming to them. We are closing in on their territory and it is just a matter of time before we pounce on them,” Ntlemeza added.
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