Barberton police arrest man tied to suspected illegal mining operations
A media statement issued by the Office of the Provincial Commissioner in Mpumalanga stated that, despite negative narratives suggesting police in Barberton are reluctant to address crime, continuous operations show the clear determination of Mpumalanga's men and women in blue to eradicate criminal activity in the area.
ALSO READ: Two arrested with gold-bearing material
According to the statement, the operation that led to the arrest was jointly executed by several specialised units, including Mpumalanga Organised Crime Investigation, Crime Intelligence, the Tactical Response Team, the White River K9 Unit and Hi-Tech Security.
Acting on reliable intelligence about individuals engaged in illegal drug activities, police obtained a search warrant and commenced the operation at approximately 05:00.
While searching the premises, the team received further details indicating that a man residing there was allegedly involved in the illegal sale of explosives.
Police apprehended the suspect and recovered several illegal items, including 89 electronic detonators, 49 Superpower blasting cartridges, six metres of detonating cord, four safety fuses, about nine boxes of cough medication, gold-bearing material (ore) and two portable scales.
The suspect was charged with illegal possession of explosives, illegal possession of gold-bearing material and illegal possession of medication.
Preliminary investigations suggest that he may have been supplying these items to illegal mining operators in the area.
He is expected to appear in the Barberton Magistrate's Court on Monday, July 21.
The acting provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Dr Zeph Mkhwanazi, welcomed the swift response.
'This operation underscores our commitment to combatting criminal activities and ensuring the safety of our communities. The Barberton area has been a concern and we made a promise to address the situation. So far, our continuous operations are yielding positive results. We will continue to work tirelessly to dismantle networks involved in that area. We urge people to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities, and we will swiftly act on such information without hesitation,' he said.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
R446,000 cash and Toyota Fortuner forfeited to the State as driver fails to explain money's origins
Police in Limpopo searched a Toyota Fortuner driven by a Zimbabwean national on the N1 freeway and found R446,000 in a bag, which was then seized by the law enforcement authorities. Image: SAPS The High Court in Limpopo has granted a forfeiture order for a cash amount of R446,000 and a Toyota Fortuner sport utility vehicle, which were seized by police. The Hawks' asset forfeiture investigation unit and the National Prosecuting Authority's asset forfeiture unit (AFU) worked tirelessly to ensure the forfeiture of the money and the vehicle. 'This emanates from the arrest conducted by members of the South African Police Service attached to Musina in 2024. On 4 July 2024, police conducted a stop and search operation along the N1 road in Musina,' said Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks in Limpopo. During the operation, the police officers stopped the Toyota Fortuner which was driven by a foreign national. 'During a search, police found a plastic bag that contained South African bank notes underneath blankets inside the boot. Police interviewed the driver, and he failed to give a clear explanation for carrying the large amount of money inside the vehicle,' said Mmuroa. The driver was immediately arrested and the money was seized. The Hawks' asset forfeiture investigation unit was consulted for asset investigation. 'After completion of the investigations, the Hawks referred the matter to the National Prosecuting Authority's asset forfeiture unit for further handling. Following court processes, the High Court in Limpopo granted a preservation order for the Toyota Fortuner and the money in February, before the forfeiture order was granted last week. 'The cash was deposited into the criminal asset recovery account on 29 July. The forfeited Toyota Fortuner is about to be sold on auction,' said Mmuroa. Earlier this year, IOL reported that a 49-year-old man was arrested on charges of money laundering after being found in possession of about R1.2 million in cash. At the time, provincial police spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, said the arrested man had allegedly tried to bribe police officers after the money was found. 'This achievement is the result of the dedication by members deployed for Operation Vala Umgodi, and the man was nabbed on 16 March 2025 at Tonga near Komatipoort,' said Ndubane. She said police officers received a tip-off about a man who was allegedly in possession of an unlicenced firearm. 'They then responded swiftly and followed the information, and upon arrival at Tonga View, they found the owner of the house and conducted a search and it was during that time when they discovered the large sum of money hidden under the bed as well as inside the wardrobe,' said Ndubane. 'The astute members continued searching in other rooms where they further found a bag full of money. It was during the process when the man tried his luck to bribe the police officials with R50,000, but his attempts failed dismally.' Ndubane said the money amounted to R1.2 million in banknotes and coins, while there was also Mozambican currency. [email protected] IOL News Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Hawks push ahead with Polokwane Municipality corruption case
POLOKWANE – The corruption probe into the affairs of the Polokwane Municipality will continue despite a key segment of the broader investigation being struck off the Limpopo High Court roll in the city on Tuesday due to interlocutory issues. This assurance came from the head of the Hawks in Limpopo, Maj Genl (Adv) Gopz Govender, who spoke to Polokwane Observer shortly after Judge Jane Ngobeni ruled that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) was not positioned to proceed with an urgent application compelling the municipality to hand over its gift register. The register was to be examined for potential irregularities involving Mayor John Mpe and his Makoro Foundation. Read more: Court strikes Hawks' Polokwane gift register bid Ngobeni ruled it fair to allow all legal respondents, including legal representatives of Mpe, his foundation, the municipality and municipal manager Thuso Nemugumoni, to first finalise a related interlocutory application also before the court. The Hawks have since indicated their intention to re-enrol the urgent application within the next month, anticipating that the other matter will have been resolved by then. This development comes in the wake of explosive claims circulating on social media, alleging that over R700m in municipal tenders were irregularly awarded to relatives and associates of Mpe and Nemugumoni. Read more: Polokwane mayor faces deadline over tender kickback claims The municipal manager also faces allegations of awarding a R56m tender to a Zimbabwean national with which she reportedly has close ties. Mpe, while conceding the foreign-owned company had likely been paid through a joint venture with a local entity, in recent weeks denied any wrongdoing. As speculation intensifies, the municipality's leadership has dismissed the allegations as a political witch-hunt aimed at undermining Mpe's leadership and the foundation's achievements. Govender, however, stressed that the Hawks' investigation is impartial and driven by evidence, and not public opinion or political pressure. You might also want to read: ActionSA opens corruption case against Polokwane mayor 'Our investigation is not about targeting individuals or being influenced by public commentary. What goes to court is not information or intelligence, but evidence, and we are confident in the evidence we've gathered,' he stated. Mpe did not respond to Polokwane Observer's request for comment by the time of publication.
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Nigerian man who identified as a Zimbabwean national denied spousal permit
A Nigerian man who also identified as Zimbabwean was denied spousal permit by the High Court. A Nigerian man who also identified as a Zimbabwean national had his application for spousal permit dismissed in an unopposed matter. In an application at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, Valentine Ezihe submitted an affidavit under the name Marshall Banda. In the affidavit, he identified himself as a Zimbabwean man living in Centurion, possessing a Zimbabwean passport with an unverified number. According to the supporting affidavit, Ezihe's spousal application had been pending for two years without a response or decision from Home Affairs. In June 2025, he served a notice of motion on home affairs and the director general of home affairs. Ezihe asked the court to direct home affairs officials to issue a decision on the outcome of his application within 30 days. In May 2025, Banda's affidavit, which claimed to be from Ezihe, was deposed and commissioned to support the notice of motion. Later, Ezihe's supplementary affidavit, which supports Banda's affidavit, was deposed and commissioned in June 2025. This occurred without the prior leave of the court. Ezihe's legal representative argued that there were no legal provisions requiring the parties to obtain leave before supplementing their court submissions.
