Police confiscates equipment of illegal miners in Anyinam

The Anyinam Police Command in the Eastern region Monday raided illegal mining sites in the Atiwa District township of Akrofufu, seizing several equipment including boats and water pumping machines.

“Unfortunately, no arrests were made”, Dr. Baba Idrissu, the Anyinam Police Commander told Starr News in an interview.

He said due to the terrible nature of the road leading to the mining site, the Police could not get there on time as residents upon seeing them gave tip off to the illegal miners to run away with some of their equipment before their arrival.

Nonetheless, the Police managed to confiscate some of the equipment.

He vowed to create a hostile environment for illegal miners in his jurisdiction, adding that the destruction of the environment is a security threat due to its implications on human lives, food, health and human security.

Farmers in the community have raised concerns over the activities of illegal miners.

Many farmers in the district have been trapped dead in uncovered pits with the latest incident being a 58-year-old wife of a blind man.

The swoop was targeted at a special group of 100 illegal miners known as Chanfan Miners who have specifically block the two main rivers in the area; Kodea and Birim, mining directly in them with sophisticated equipment.

Even though their Chinese partners who introduced the technology have been deported, the locals still use some of the equipment to mine directly in river bodies .The situation has led to devastating pollution of the rivers in the district as well as degradation of the environment.