49 illegal miners arrested by police

A total of 49 individu­als have been arrested by the Ghana Police Service (GPS) for engaging in illegal min­ing activities at various locations across the country.

The arrest follows an inten­sified series of intelligence-led operation which was carried out in eight mining locations within four regions in the country.

“The coordinated operation also resulted in the retrieval of exhibits, including various mining equipment,” the statement said.

They include Huniso, Was­sa-Dadieso and Wassa-Gyapa in the Western Region; Akrokerri in the Ashanti Region; Dunk­wa-On-Offin and Diaso in the Central Region; and the Awin river at Pankese and Akyem Ak­wadum in the Eastern Region.

This was contained in a press statement issued by the Ghana Police Service and copied to The Ghanaian Times Yesterday in Accra.

“At Huniso, Wassa-Dadieso and Wassa-Gyapa, the Western Central Regional Police Com­mand arrested 19 suspects, and disabled over 135 chanfan ma­chines,” the statement disclosed.

The statement added that the team also retrieved exhibits, including 23 Water Pumping Ma­chines, four Excavator batteries and a motorbike.

The statement also revealed that the Ashanti South Regional Police Command arrested 9 sus­pects at Akrokerri.

In the Awin River located at Pankese and at Akyem Akwad­um, the statement indicated that 11 suspects were arrested in connection with illegal mining activities by the Eastern South Regional Police Command.

They also retrieved mining equipment including, onr exca­vator monitor, two excavator pedals, seven excavator control boards and one gold detecting device.

At Dunkwa-On-Offin and Diaso, the Central North Regional Police Command ar­rested 10 suspects and retrieved four Excavators, eight Pump­ing machines and one cylinder machine.

According to the state­ment, all suspects are in Police custody assisting the Police in ongoing investigations

 BY TIMES REPORTER