Two men, 42 and 43, arrested at Beauvallon with diamond gravel in a bakkie
Alexander Bay police acted on a security company's tip-off about digging at Beesbank and stopped a blue double-cab on the way to the mine.
Two men aged 42 and 43 were arrested in the Alexander Bay policing precinct on Friday night and are expected to appear in the Port Nolloth Magistrate’s Court soon, the South African Police Service said in a media statement.
The arrests followed a tip-off. At about 21:30 on Friday, 25 September 2026, Alexander Bay SAPS members received information from a security company about illegal digging activities at Beesbank, according to the statement issued by the office of the Northern Cape provincial commissioner in Springbok.
While en route to the mine, the members conducted patrols at Beauvallon. There they spotted a blue double-cab bakkie with people standing next to it. A search of the vehicle turned up several bags containing suspected diamond-bearing gravel, along with digging implements both inside and outside the bakkie.
The two men were arrested on the scene for contravening the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (Act 28 of 2002), illegal prospecting and mining without authorisation. The suspected diamond gravel and the digging implements were seized together with the vehicle as part of the investigation.
The SAPS in the Namakwa District said it remains committed to combating illegal mining activities, which it said cause serious damage to the economy and environment.
Enquiries on the case can be directed to Captain Ivan Magerman on 083 478 9317.
Source: South African Police Service (SAPS), Two suspected illegal miners arrested in Alexander Bay
