{"id":78250,"date":"2025-04-11T15:17:41","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T13:17:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/?p=78250"},"modified":"2025-04-11T15:17:42","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T13:17:42","slug":"illegal-mining-suffers-a-severe-blow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/illegal-mining-suffers-a-severe-blow\/","title":{"rendered":"Illegal mining suffers a severe blow"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Ten suspects were arrested for possession of gold-bearing material during an intensive Opertion Vala uMgodi sting in and near Welkom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"771\" height=\"1024\" data-attachment-id=\"78409\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/illegal-mining-suffers-a-severe-blow\/ten-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ten-2.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1204,1600\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ten 2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ten-2-771x1024.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ten-2-771x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-78409\" style=\"width:595px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ten-2-771x1024.jpg 771w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ten-2-226x300.jpg 226w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ten-2-768x1021.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ten-2.jpg 1204w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Suspects found busy with illegal mining activity in Old\u00a0Steyn\u00a0Mine.  Photo: SAPS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A team of police members, along with combat, proactive operators, drone pilots and private security companies executed <strong>disruptive illicit mining policing actions in Old St Helena Phoenix 500, Old Steyn 2 Mine, Old Western Holdings 05 Mine, African Rainbow Mineral.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The team conducted patrols in areas such as FS1 bushes and farms such as Voelkraandvlei and Stilte, where ventilation shafts are situated.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>During the operation, the team seized gold-bearing material weighing at 340.28kg.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gold-processing equipment such as gwala, shovels, garden spades, pick axes, steel plates and a self-made strainer were also seized.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Case dockets of possession of suspected gold-bearing material, gold processing equipment, and trespassing on mine area.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, a case of contravention of the Immigration Act was opened at the Welkom, Virginia and Theunissen Police Stations, says Lt Col Thabo Covane, Corporate Communication and Liaison: Free State.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>elf-made slope table used to separate gold ores from soil by illegal miners at Old Western Holdings\u00a005\u00a0Mine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":78408,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"60","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"2025-04-10","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"2","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"7970","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggeste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