Bloemfontein - Equipment used to process illegal gold dust was confiscated during a raid at a hostel in Thabong, Free State police said on Thursday.
“Police also closed two illegal liquor outlets and arrested five illegal Mozambican immigrants,” Warrant Officer Malebo Khosana said.
The raid at G-hostel took place on Wednesday around 2pm.
Police seized six melting pots, one bottle of mercury, several gas cylinders, one mine battery, a plastic bag with borax, a sieve, one mine hard hat, plastic containers, and a scale.
Six rubber bullets, hidden outside in an old, unused deep freezer, were also found.
Khosana said no one was arrested for the confiscated items because ownership could not be established.
At the shebeens a fridge and about 40 litres of beer and other liquor was confiscated.
Sapa