Operation Vanguard arrests 20 suspected illegal miners

Operation Vanguard personnel in the Eastern Region have arrested 20 suspected illegal miners in Kibi Zongo township.

The operation which was conducted around 2 am Sunday morning resulted in 15 of the miners, who are Nigerians, a Bissau Guinean, and four (4) locals being picked up and handed over to the New Abirim District police for further action.

These illegal miners are still receiving assistance from some locals in their operations. The Taskforce will however continue to sensitize the public against offering assistance to this galamseyers in light of the amendment to the Mining Acts stipulating stiffer punishments for those who aid and abet them.

Other Operations

Within the past week, the Taskforce conducted several other operations in the Western, Central and Ashanti Regions.

In the Western Region, patrols in the Wassa Akropong and Nzema East Districts resulted in the arrests of 9 locals suspected of mining illegally at Gyapa and Avrebo. An excavator, 20 water pumping machines, 12 Changfans and 2 power plants too were seized.

Also, two (2) Chinese nationals and a local were arrested on suspicion of mining illegally at Ayanfuri (Upper Denkyira West) and Manso Atuntuma (Adansi South) respectively.

All the suspects were handed over to various District police stations for further action.

Additionally, a total of 108 Changfan machines were immobilized over the same period.