ArrestsPolice spokesperson Captain Mpho Nonyane-Mpe said the arrests were effected during ongoing operations targeting illicit mining activities and related offences in the area. “Of the 24 suspects arrested, 12 were arrested for offences relating to illegal mining, while one suspect faces charges of assaulting police officers and resisting arrest. Illegal miningNonyane-Mpe said the operations form part of the Saps’ ongoing efforts, together with relevant law enforcement stakeholders, to disrupt illicit mining activities and address criminal activities associated with illegal mining. 14 illegal miners deadMeanwhile, fourteen suspected illegal miners died after the walls of an excavated dumping site caved in at Nkaneng, near Rustenburg, on Monday night. “This tragedy is a reminder of the dangers associated with illegal mining.