The arrest which was done by the combined team of personnel from the Ghana Police service and taskforce set up by the Commission took place late night Saturday when these persons were busily excavating in and around the Offin River in the “Tano-Offin" forest reserve.

The miners who were initially numbered to be about thirty immediately bolted into the forest when they spotted the taskforce. However luck eluded nine of their colleagues as they were arrested by the taskforce in the process.

The team also impounded two excavators, several pumping machines and generators belonging to these illegal miners.

Nkawie District Forest Officer, Nana Opoku Bosompem who confirmed the news when he granted an interview with Accra based Okay FM said, the suspects were still in police custody and will soon be arraigned before court. He added that a search for the remaining twenty-one who managed to escape has also begun.

He described their activities as having a devastating effect on water bodies in the forest reserve and thus appealed to the Court to show robust towards these illegal miners when brought before them to serve as a deterrent to others.

“I am pleading with the Judge not show them mercy but rather sanction them in accordance with the minerals and mining laws. The law stipulates a fine of GHs 36, 000.00 to the state or face its equivalent of 5 years imprisonment” Mr. Bosompem noted.

 He added that his outfit has declared war over galamsey activities in and around the reserve, a move he said is aimed at protecting the existing forest reserves in the area.

Ghanadistricts.com