Six arrested as police seize raw gold, R18 600 cash and mining gear in Mpumalanga
Four Mozambican, one Zimbabwean and one Ethiopian national were arrested at Mashobodo on Monday morning, with charges ranging from possession of gold-bearing material to immigration offences.
Six suspects were arrested at Mashobodo in the Ngodwana policing precinct in Mpumalanga on Monday morning, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said, in an operation that recovered raw gold, R18 600 in cash and a long list of mining equipment.
The Pilgrim’s Rest Illicit Mining Team carried out the operation at about 07:30 on Monday, 26 October 2026. According to the provincial commissioner’s office, those arrested were four Mozambican nationals, one Zimbabwean national and one Ethiopian national.
One of the arrested, an Ethiopian national who is allegedly a spaza shop owner, was charged with possession of counterfeit cigarettes. Two Mozambican nationals face charges of possession of gold-bearing material (GBM) and gold-bearing equipment (GBE), possession of raw gold, money laundering involving R18 600 in cash, and contravention of immigration laws. Two other Mozambican nationals and the Zimbabwean national were charged with possession of GBM and GBE and with contravention of immigration laws.
Police confiscated two generators, four shovels, eight phendukas, six jackhammers, one phanga, one grinder, three hammers, three spanners, 13 steel balls, three 12.5kg bags of GBM, six plastic basins, two plastic buckets, 22 head torches, one pick, two pairs of water boots, one gas cylinder, one scale, 15 Remington Gold cigarette cartons, raw gold and the R18 600 in cash.
A total of six cases were opened, and all six suspects are expected to face the charges accordingly. They are expected to appear in court in due course.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Apaphia Modise, commended the members involved in the operation for their continued efforts to disrupt illegal mining activities and the criminal networks that benefit from such illicit operations. Police said they will continue conducting operations to detect, prevent and combat illegal mining and other forms of criminality in the province.
Members of the public are encouraged to report criminal activities to the police by contacting Crime Stop at 08600 10111, using the MySAPS App, or approaching their nearest police station. All information provided will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
The statement was issued by Sergeant Thulisile Magagula of the SAPS provincial commissioner’s office in Mpumalanga. The original statement can be found at https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=72082.
