JOHANNESBURG - Police Minister Bheki Cele says a highly sophisticated group of zama zamas is running illegal mining in the country.
He says some of the 20 suspects arrested in Stilfontein are from South Africa, Lesotho, eSwatini as well as Zimbabwe.
Police seized 15 AK47s, six hunting rifles, two shotguns, one R5 and 6,000 rounds of ammunition and an undisclosed amount of cash.
The minister says police are hot on the heels of the 'big fish' in illegal mining.
"That investigation is continuing in terms of where these guns come from," he said.
"There was sophistication in that group. They have their own special wifi to be able to communicate."
Cele said illegal miners are transitioning from disused mines to active mining operations.
The North West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Free State and Gauteng are the most problematic in the fight against zama zamas.