Mozambique: Overcrowding in prisons - Construction of ten detention centres planned
Mozambique: 44 arrested this year for illegal ruby mining at MRM
2:15 CAT | 20 Nov 2024
File photo: Gemfields
A total of 44 people have been arrested this year for illegal ruby mining at Montepuez Ruby Mining, a company that mines the resource in Cabo Delgado, and which said today that it had registered a “large-scale” raid on Friday.
“On Friday, 15 November 2024, Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM) suffered another large-scale raid on its Maninge Nice mine, which was invaded by around 150 people,” reads a statement from MRM sent to the media on Tuesday.
According to the company, an agent of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) and a security guard were taken hostage during the raid, and told not to “ask for help”, but were “released unharmed” after the arrival of reinforcements.
In the document, MRM says that the leaders and those involved in last Friday’s raid, some of whom were foreigners, had been identified.
“In total, 44 foreign nationals were arrested in connection with illegal mining at MRM in 2024,” the mining company said, adding that it had been warning about the dangers of illegal mining in order to “dissuade individuals from putting themselves and others at risk.”
MRM is a Mozambican company that exploits the Montepuez ruby deposit, which covers approximately 33,600 hectares in Cabo Delgado province, north-eastern Mozambique.
MRM is 75% owned by Gemfields and 25% by Mwiriti Limitada, a Mozambican company.
Source: Lusa
Show comments
Also read
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.