A raid on a Theunissen farm by a joint team of South African Police Service and South African National Defence Force members, has dealt the illegal mining foodstuff trade a serious blow.
On Thursday 3 April the teams descended on the farm outside of Theunissen. They arrested six foodpackers and confiscated vast quantities of tinned and other food stuff, as well as beverages. The packaged foodstuff was intended to be delivered and dropped underground where illegal miners are found.
The raid took place on a farm outside of Theunissen, by operatives working in Operation Vala uMgodi.
The team received information about suspicious activities taking place at Thusana Trust, a farm near the R708 outside of Theunissen.
“A way-lay operation and aerial drone observation were planned for first light on Thursday morning when the team punced and arrested the suspects; three males aged 29, 61 and 64, as well as three females aged 18, 25 and 51. They were busy with food packaging at the rime of the road,” says Lt Col Thabo Covane, Corporate Communication and Liaison:Free State.
As team members started unwrapping the packages they found 2 500 cans of energy drinks, 2 600 tins of corned meat, 2 600 packets of instant porridge (1kg) and 2 000 packs of powdered milk (1kg). The team searched the premises and discovered that the house was under surveillance with highly sophisticated camera which can be monitored from another location.
Covane says a case docket of Conspiracy to
commit the crime of illicit mining and aiding illegal underground miners was
opened at Theunissen Police Station.
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