Police Nab Nine Suspects With Unpolished Diamonds in Northern Cape Mining Crackdown

Nine suspects were arrested on a farm near Koingnaas after South African police, military, and private security forces converged on one of the Northern Cape's most active illegal-mining corridors in a coordinated December 20 sweep through Kleinzee.

The operation, conducted under the banner of Operation Vala Umgodi, brought together the SA Police Service, the South African National Defence Force, and Vetus Private Security. Acting on a tip, the joint unit moved with precision. "Intelligence-driven information was received by the members regarding alleged illegal mining activities taking place at a farm near Koingnaas. The members, together with Vetus Private Security operationalised the information and tactically approached the farm, and apprehended nine suspects," said provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Molefi Shemane.

Among the nine arrested, whose ages ranged from 30 to 47, two were found carrying what police described as suspected unpolished diamonds. "Suspected unpolished diamonds were found in the possession of a 31-year-old suspect, and another suspected unpolished diamond was found in the possession of another 33-year-old suspect. The nine suspects between the ages of 30 and 47 were apprehended for illegal mining, possession of suspected unpolished diamonds, undocumented persons, theft, and trespassing," Shemane said. Officers also confiscated mining implements and a knife from the group.

The Kleinzee arrests were not the only action in the Namakwa District during this period. A separate report documented the arrest of a 32-year-old man after suspected unpolished diamonds were found in his possession during searches at known illegal-mining hotspots in the region. It remains unconfirmed whether this individual is among the nine detained in Kleinzee or was apprehended in a distinct operation.

The crackdown arrives against a backdrop of prosecutorial momentum in the province. Earlier in December, 53-year-old diamond dealer Poalu Sercio Martins Bernardo was convicted in the Springbok Regional Court on three counts of illegal dealing in unpolished diamonds. The court sentenced him to pay a combined fine of R150,000 or six years' imprisonment, with each sentence suspended for five years on the condition that he is not found guilty of the same charge. His case illustrates the full arc of the illegal diamond trade in the Northern Cape: from raw stones pulled out of the earth without authorization, to dealers moving them through informal networks, to courtroom accountability.

For those with information about illegal mining activity, Northern Cape police management has urged the public to contact SAPS Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or report through the MySAPS App. The suspected diamonds seized in the Kleinzee operation remain under police custody pending forensic verification, and formal court appearances for the nine arrested suspects had not been confirmed at the time of reporting.