Illegal mining: Cops raid Florida settlement as residents seek refuge at police station
Additional police officers have been deployed to the Jerusalem informal settlement in Florida following a shootout between suspected illegal miners.
The officers were deployed after a group of frightened residents sought refuge in the local police station amid several incidents of violence in the area.
Gauteng police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi says the residents have since returned to their homes.
"The Department of Social Development was called in to assist and the group has since returned to their homes. There is no confirmation of any shooting incident as initially reported.”
The city’s MMC for Public Safety Mgcini Tshwaku says his department managed to confiscate some of the equipment used by the illegal miners.
"We are at Jerusalem right now. We raided some of the shacks. We found some Phendukas, and explosives. They are being processed by SAPS. The operation is ongoing," said Tshwaku on Friday afternoon.
ALSO READ:
