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Media Statement POLOKWANE – A 48-year-old male illegal mining mastermind Mahlaka Lucas Makuwa briefly appeared before Praktiseer Magistrate’s Court on Monday 03 June 2024 facing charges of theft of precious minerals. The accused was released on a fixed bail amount of R20 000, and the case was postponed to 02 August 2024. He will appear together with his accomplices, the eighteen truck drivers. It is reported that the accused, Lucas Makuwa has ultimately handed himself over to the police on Monday, 03 June 2024, following several endeavours to arrest him without success. The Multidisciplinary Forces comprising of Mopani Tracking and Illegal Mining Teams, Provincial Cold Case Investigators, Mopani Highway Patrol as well as Maake Visible Policing have on Sunday, 02 June 2024 in the early hours conducted a joint intelligence driven operation following information of the long wanted suspect of five counts of murder cases reported at Westernburg in Capricorn District and committed in September 2022. It is reported that the team successfully traced and arrested a 42-year -old male suspect, who is also a Lesotho National for five counts of murder at his hiding place in Pharare villege in Mopani District. In addition to this incident, on Sunday 02 June 2024, about three foreign nationals were arrested at Muchipis village outside Malamulele through the joint intelligence driven operation for contravention of the immigration act. The suspects are expected to appear before various Magistrate’s Courts in due course. Ends
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