Authorities believe that one of their own may have been involved in the escape of alleged illegal mining kingpin, Tiger. James Neo Tsoeli is charged with overseeing activities at the abandoned mine shaft.

Police have launched a manhunt for the alleged kingpin known as ‘Tiger’ in the Stilfontein gold mine debacle. The alleged kingpin resurfaced from shaft 11 in Stilfontein last week during a rescue mission to get the miners out.

Distressing content warningClement Moeletsi is one of hundreds rescued from an abandoned gold mine in South Africa.That's after a crackdown on illegal mining at the site in Stilfontein that began in August,

Tiger’, a Lesotho national, is implicated in several statements as one of the ringleaders who controlled operations underground and is accused of murder, torture and denying other trapped illegal mine workers food and water.

A suspected illegal gold mining ringleader known as “Tiger” escaped from custody with help from police officers after resurfacing last week from a disused mine in South Africa where dozens of miners died and 246 were rescued,

By Nellie Peyton JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -South African police are hunting a gang leader from Lesotho believed to have controlled operations at an illegal gold mine where 78 bodies were recovered last week after months of police siege.