JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa’s government says it will not help about 4,000 illegal miners at a closed mine in the country’s North West province, part of an official policy against illegal mining.

Miners at the Stilfontein mine are reportedly suffering from a lack of food, water and other essentials after police closed entrances used to transport their supplies underground.

This is part of the police’s Operation Vala Umgodi, or Close the Hole, which includes cutting off the miners’ supplies to force them to return to the surface and be arrested.

In recent weeks, more than 1,000 miners have surfaced in various mines in the North West province, with many believed to be weak, hungry and sick after going weeks without basic supplies.

Around 20 miners surfaced from the Stilfontein mine shaft this week as police monitored areas around the mine to arrest anyone emerging from underground.

Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni told reporters on Wednesday that the government would not send any aid to illegal miners because they are involved in a criminal act.

“We don’t send aid to criminals. We’re going to smoke them out. They will come out. We must not help criminals; criminals must be prosecuted. We didn’t send them there,” Ntshavheni said.

Remnants of illegal mining common in former gold mining areas of South Africa, with miners going into closed pits to dig for possible remaining deposits.

Illegal miners often come from neighboring countries, and police say the illegal operations involve larger syndicates that employ the miners.

Their presence in closed mines has also created problems with neighboring communities, who complain that illegal miners commit crimes ranging from theft to rape.

Illegal mining groups are known to be heavily armed and conflicts between rival groups sometimes result in deadly clashes.