Confiscation of what the Joint Operations Division of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) terms “precious materials” worth R3 300 by soldiers on the Operation Corona border protection tasking indicate illegally mined South African minerals and precious metals are being illegally exported. Livestock from Lesotho worth R1.4 million grazing on Free State pastures was despatched back to the mountain kingdom and on the Eastern Cape/Lesotho border R2.2 million worth of livestock was recovered. Operation Corona yielded its by now standard fare of illegal immigrants – 420 – contraband and narcotics all told valued at R9.6 million and R3.3 million worth of stolen vehicles in February.