In a major crackdown on illegal activities, Operation Vala Umgodi has yielded significant
results this week in the Mopani and Vhembe districts. A total of 22 illegal immigrants
were apprehended, and immigration officers from the Department of Home Affairs have
been engaged to facilitate their immediate deportation to their respective countries.

The collaborative effort between the military and police under Operation Vala Umgodi
also led to the arrest of two male suspects aged 29 and 30 for engaging in illegal mining
activities at Ga-Maroga village outside Burgersfort in the Sekhukhune district. “Police
were conducting a disruptive Operation Vala Umgodi at Ga-Maroga village when they
arrived at an illegal mining site where the suspects were busy mining. The suspects
attempted to evade arrest. Despite their efforts to escape, police arrested the two
suspects,” said police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba.

Substantial quantities of mining equipment, including a power generator, jackhammers,
welding machines, grinders, drilling bits, shovels, measuring tapes, and electrical
cables, were seized at the crime scene.

Furthermore, members of border policing stationed at Beitbridge intercepted a
homemade wooden ferry suspected to be used for smuggling people and counterfeit
goods across the Limpopo River. “A large amount of alcohol, worth thousands and
intended for illegal transportation across the river, was seized. The suspects, believed
to be Zimbabwean nationals, managed to evade capture by fleeing across the river,”
Ledwaba added.

These successful operations highlight the authorities’ commitment to combating illegal
activities and maintaining law and order within the country’s borders.