POLICE in Welkom, Free State, are confident they will win the war against illegal mining.
This follows the arrest of 383 illegal miners. The suspects include 89 women.
Police also seized 17 illegal firearms.
An escalation in illegal mining has allegedly resulted in serious crime, including murder and robbery, in Thabong and nearby areas. Colonel Ansie Foley said: "We intend to arrest all these illegal miners. We receive useful information from the locals. This is a clear indication the locals are sick and tired of crime committed in their residential areas."
Captain Stephen Thakeng said: "We followed a tip-off that illegal miners, mostly from Lesotho, would attend a concert at nearby President Brand mine. They were reportedly armed with illegal weapons.
"Criminal mining is now viewed as organised crime by our courts; previously illegal miners were charged only with trespassing."