Mpumalanga police arrest 24 more illegal miners at Sheba Gold Mine
Last week, police arrested close to 500 illegal miners at the same site.
They are expected to make their first court appearance on Monday on charges including possession of gold‑bearing material, contravention of the Immigration Act and trespassing.
According to provincial police, the 24 newly‑arrested suspects allegedly went deeper underground when officers first uncovered the operation last week.
They resurfaced on Monday after spending the entire weekend underground.
Police said a firearm was found in the possession of one of the suspects.
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"One thing that we want to indicate is that they are still being processed, and possibly they could be found with other things," said Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Donald Mdhuli.
Meanwhile, in court, the nearly 500 accused will appear in two separate courtrooms due to space limitations.
Police investigations into illegal mining in the area are ongoing.
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