The Ghana Police Service has arrested a total of 21 individuals engaged in illegal mining (galamsey) activities in the Samreboi forest in the Western Region.
The police raided a galamsey site in the Samreboi forest, after it had previously raided and arrested 26 persons in the same forest. This brings the total number of arrests to 47.
The arrests were made in the Tano Nimri forest and along the Tano River, where the police seized 17 excavators and one bulldozer.
Among those arrested are 39 Ghanaians, 8 Chinese nationals, and 4 Ghanaian women. The suspects were found to be engaged in illegal mining activities, which pose a significant threat to the environment and the country’s natural resources.
The first batch of 26 suspects have been transported to Accra to face justice. The police are confident to ensure that those involved in galamsey are held accountable for their actions.
“The operation is ongoing, and the police are working to identify and apprehend more suspects,” they said.
The arrest of 47 individuals and the seizure of equipment demonstrate the police’s desire to protecting the country’s natural resources and environment. It is expected that this operation will serve as a deterrent to those involved in illegal mining activities and help to promote responsible mining practices in Ghana.
The Mahama government has stepped up its crackdown on galamsey by employing multiple strategies, including military deployments to mining sites, leading to numerous arrests, the ban on issuance of mining licenses, the launch of the blue water guards initiative amongst a host of others.
