On Friday, 12 December 2025, a police operation arrested eleven men for illegal mining in Mooinooi.
The operation involved members from the Tactical Response Team (TRT), Public Order Policing (POP), and Visible Policing (VISPOL).
Officers found the suspects digging in the area. Two bakkies containing stones and rocks, suspected to be chrome, were discovered on site.
All eleven suspects, aged between 20 and 45, were arrested for illegal mining. The two vehicles and various digging tools were seized.
Two of the arrested men were also charged as undocumented foreign nationals for contravening Section 49 of the Immigration Act (2002).
The accused are set to appear before the Brits Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 15 December 2025.