Anti-galamsey forces seize excavators, apprehend 12

The police anti-galamsey task force has heightened its operations in areas plagued by illegal mining, yielding several arrests in the Ashanti and Western regions during separate weekend operations.

On Saturday, the Special Anti-Galamsey Task Force based at Manso Adubia in the Ashanti Region expanded its operations to Juaso, a suburb of the Asante Akim South Municipality, where two excavators were seized.

Under the leadership of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Bawah Abdul Jalil, a team of 37 personnel traveled onboard six service vehicles to Dwendwenase, a suburb of Juaso, to execute the operation based on intelligence suggesting that Chinese nationals had infiltrated parts of the Dwendwenase Forest Reserve for their illegal mining pursuits.

“Upon noticing the presence of the task force, the suspects fled the scene, abandoning two excavators.

“Efforts were made to start and relocate the excavators. However, one of them was found to be faulty and could not be started or moved. The other excavator was successfully loaded onto a low-bed carrier,” a police situational report said.

Intelligence gathered by the team revealed that an excavator operator had hidden another machine in a cocoa farm in Atta Ne Atta village, near Dwendwenase.

The team then proceeded to the location and impounded the machine.

Components

The operator had disconnected some components, making it difficult to start or move it.

However, the report said, with the expertise of the task force’s technical team, the excavator was successfully started and subsequently loaded onto the low-bed carrier.

“Both excavators were then transported to the base at Patase for safekeeping and further action,” the report said.

Western Region

In the Western Region, a joint task force stormed separate locations at Adiewoso and Tettrem in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, arresting 12 suspects, including a female.

The operation involved personnel from the Second Infantry Battalion (2BN), police, and national security. Two tricycles, a motorcycle, and 25 chanfang machines were retrieved and subsequently destroyed.

The suspects and seized exhibits are currently in custody at the Agona Nkwanta Police District Police Command in the Ahanta West Municipality, assisting in investigations.

The arrests followed a resolution by the regional security task force to make the region unattractive to illegal miners, halting environmental degradation.

The task force relies on intel from local communities and AI technology to identify targets.

The operation is a collaboration between the army, police commands, NAIMOS, and the Blue Water Guards.

A separate operation led by NAIMOS and the Nzema Blue Water Guards at Abelebo and Akango communities in the Nzema East Municipality resulted in the destruction of 50 chanfang machines, polytanks, power generators, and pipelines.

The task force dismantled makeshift structures along the Ankobra River, which served as shelters for illegal miners.

Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson emphasized that combating illegal mining necessitates a sustained effort to protect the environment.

“Illegal miners retreat when operations are underway, only to return when they perceive it as safe. We will not relent; we will ensure we tackle this issue and sustain the fight,” he stated.

Prior to this, illegal miners invaded a mature rubber plantation, significantly impacting Ghana Rubber Estate Limited’s operations in some areas, with over 6,000 hectares of rubber plantation and over 2,000 trees destroyed.

Company officials observed that illegal mining led to substantial yield reductions in affected areas, with the Western Regional Coordinating Council describing the situation as worrying.

Brigadier General Musa Whajah (retd), Western Regional Security Liaison Officer, underscored the importance of engaging host communities in dialogue to highlight the devastating impact of illegal mining on their operations, in addition to the clampdown on galamsey.