Home |Β 

Hawks arrest six suspected zama zama kingpins

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Hawks have arrested six suspects linked to illegal mining in Carltonville and Khutsong, west of Johannesburg.

The suspects are said to include kingpins, allegedly part of a chain of buying illegal minerals from zama zamas and selling them after they are processed.

Several high-performance vehicles and homemade firearms were seized.

Hawks Spokesperson Katlego Mogale says the suspects will be appearing at the Carltonville Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on charges of money laundering, dealing in illegal precious metals, and fraud.

“This was an ongoing project which began in 2018 as an inquiry addressing six targets high up in the illegal mining activity. Six transactions were conducted to the value of R500 000. The suspects are alleged to be buying gold material from the zama zamas, process it, and sell it to the next level in the hierarchy. This is as a result of a joined Hawks’ serious organized crime organization in Gauteng, working with forensic, crime intelligence, Gauteng bullet and the Department of Home Affairs.”

Zama zamas’ operations demolished in Bekkersdal

Author

MOST READ