Asia Huang, the powerful Chinese woman behind galamsey in Ghana

She is described as the "Queen of Galamsey" in mining areas.

Asia Huang is said to be the powerful Chinese woman behind the booming illegal mining (galamsey) in the Ashanti, Western and Eastern Regions.

According to the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako, she has a strong influence, links and network in the security services as well as the officials of the past and current administrations.

She has been arrested on three occasions and has been released on all occasions, he said.

“This particular Chinese woman, I have it on record, was arrested three times during the previous administration and three times she was released.

She is a very powerful woman who operates more within the Ashanti Region, especially Kumasi. She’s got connections from my own checks also in this administration. She appears to be a very smooth operative," Kweku Baako said on Joy FM's Newsfile on Saturday.

“She’s built a network across the political divide. She’s got her agents placed in state institutions particularly the security agencies and she’s able to wriggle herself out of danger or trouble anytime she’s touched. I hope it doesn’t happen this time round."

What is her strength?

Mr Baako says she has built up a system of blackmail in which she uses to silence decision makers. And she has got accomplices.

She has video and audio recordings of power people entrusted with the responsibility of decision making.

According to him, Asia Huang has sex video recordings of them as well as compromising voice recordings of these powerful decision makers.

He said: “…She’s got accomplices – the other one is called Monica, the other the name has slipped me because it’s a Chinese name. Part of their strength is that they built up a certain system of blackmailing. They are women so I’m not going to use certain words, I’m not going to say certain things.

As to when they came into town, what they intend to do, who they were, what they were, had nothing to do with galamsey, but gradually they moved from that particular trade into galamsey.

“They have video and audio recordings of people who are powerful, videos of people who we have entrusted with responsibilities to protect us as a people. That’s how dangerous the game is and that is where the strength and power of these Chinese women are coming from.”

“They have them in videos containing sex. They have video and audio recordings of their conversations with some strategically placed persons from then and now and some they are having sex with. Also, they have girls, some mainly Chinese who they brought into town to sleep with these big men well placed and they use it to blackmail our big men into submission.”

She is said to be behind the migration of thousands of Chinese nationals in Ghana.

Those she brings include sex workers, investors and poverty stricken individuals who are looking for opportunities.