26 illegal miners including 4 Togolese arrested along River Tano and Wassa Dunkwa

A team of Military Personnel under “OPERATION HALT 2” on Monday, May 23, 2022, arrested 26 illegal mining including four Togolese operating along with River Tano bodies and other areas at Patase near Wassa Dunkwa in the Central Region.

Defying the ban placed on illegal mining operations by the government these illegal miners continued to wreak havoc on the environment especially water bodies.

Personnel from OPERATION HALT 2 have since May 20th deployed in the galamsey prone areas in the Western and Central Regions to control illegal mining activities.

Mr George Mireku-Duker, a Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and Brigadier-General Michael Ayisi Amoah, Commanding Officer of the Southern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces during a working tour to assess the situation were surprised at the presence of the illegal miners on site.

Chanfan machines, generators, other equipment and tools as well as camps by the galamsay operators were set ablaze to deter them from coming back to the site.

Mr Mireku-Duker who was obviously unhappy with the situation said the government will not relent in the efforts to tackle the problem.

Mr Mireku-Duker however directed that those arrested should be sent to the Police for prosecution, saying, “the law will be made to work to address the problem.

The Deputy Minister also condemned uncontrolled sand winning at galamsay site which goes to aggravate the situation.