The sale of guns is reportedly on the rise in Bole District in the Northern region.
Residents in the area have begun arming themselves following recent armed robbery attacks in the area.
Last Tuesday a known business man in the district Isaac Adjei was shot to death at his residence by a group of unidentified armed men.
According to the residents, activities of galamsay operators have also compromised security in the area.
Public Relations Officer for the Gonja land Youth Association, Mahama Haruna in an interview with Starr News said residents have now decided to personally protect themselves against further attacks.
“As for the buying of the guns it is an open secret because most of the people are involved in this galamsey and it is not safe to go to the galamsey areas without being armed.
“Some of these things are not new because the whole area is engulfed in this galamsey, this is something even the security agencies there know...there are those who feel the galamsey operators make easy money so they become targets and so if they don’t get these galamsey operators to target because they are protecting themselves they extend it to harmless people, people they think are vulnerable”.