Three suspected illegal miners found with 45 power generators, 38 jack hammers, nine shovels, three spades, a pick and a hammer will appear in a Limpopo court on Thursday.

The three were arrested during a police operation at Modikwa mountain, just outside Burgersfort in Sekhukhune on Wednesday.

“The provincial task team on illegal mining was conducting targeted operations on illegal mining activities around Modikwa mountain when they noticed a group of people mining on the mountain.

“They approached them and when the men noticed the police, they started to run in  different directions to evade arrest. The police managed to arrest three male suspects aged 27, 29 and 55 and confiscated the mining equipment,” Limpopo police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba said.

The three face charges of illegal mining, possession of suspected stolen goods and contravention of the Immigration Act. They will appear in the Mecklenburg magistrate's court.

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