Six illegal miners arrested in Atuntuma by the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Mining have been remanded into prison custody by the Nhyinahin District Court in the Ashanti Region’s Atwima Mponua District.
The suspects are scheduled to appear in court again on Friday to learn their fate.
In an effort to supplement the government’s crackdown on galamsey operators, the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASM) National Taskforce arrested six people for illegally mining at Atuntuma in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region.
Five of the suspects are from the Volta Region, and one is from the Ashanti Region.
They were caught mining on the River Offin in Atuntuma and other communities in the Ashanti Region’s Atwima Mponua District.
Over 100 changfang machines, water pumping machines, and other mining equipment were recovered and destroyed by the task force.
This arrest follows one made a few weeks ago in Birim North and other districts in the Eastern and Ashanti regions by the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry.
Six illegal miners were apprehended by the special task force, and several pieces of mining equipment in the area were destroyed.
The task force’s raid is part of the government’s revitalized and renewed fight against illegal mining in the country.
The six arrested suspects appeared in Nhyinahin District Court and were remanded to appear again on Friday.
The task force members expected harsher punishment for the suspects to serve as a deterrent to others.
Patrick Don-Chebe, the task force’s commander stated that they have visited many communities in the area and that illegal miners are destroying the area’s water bodies.
“As taskforce members, we came across people who were washing directly into the Offin River, so we want to assure the people that we are not going to stop this operation here.” It will go on until they put an end to it.
“So far, we have arrested six people, all of whom are Ghanaians.” The investigation into these galamsey operators who have been arrested is still ongoing.”
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He stated that the exercise is intended to assist the government in cracking down on galamsey operators whose activities are contrary to best practices.
“We expect the law to deal with those who were arrested in order to deter others from doing the same,” he said.
Isaac Kofi Marfo, the District Chief Executive of Atwima Mponua, expressed concern about the situation in the district.
“The Assembly is urging traditional rulers, opinion leaders, and others to join them in their efforts to crack down on illegal miners in the area,” he said.
He stated that the Assembly will make every effort to crack down on them and identify their financiers.
“We’ve identified the area as a hotspot for these galamsey operators.” They are obstinate, and we will deal with them.”
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