BAPONG - At least 11 illegal miners have been arrested and 10 excavators seized in Bapong in the North West.
It comes as senior Natjoints and SANDF members visited the village.
READ| Illegal Mining | Bapong community living in fear
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says police are putting in the work to deal with the issue of illegal mining.
"We do know that there is illegal mining that is happening on a large scale here,' said Mathe.
'That is why we are here, to put intervention measures in place so that we can put a stop to all these illegal mining activities," she added.
The rapid spread of illegal mining in Bapong is triggering alarm bells.
The community is gripped in fear as the area becomes an illegal mining hub.
Residents are also afraid their homes could collapse into sinkholes.
Mining expert Peter Major says the issue of illegal mining is getting bigger all the time.