The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno has ordered a raid on illegal mining operations within the Asenanyo Forest Reserve, the same area where multimedia journalists were assaulted last year while documenting the environmental destruction.
Although it is unclear whether the suspects are the same individuals involved in the previous activities, the operation has so far led to the arrest of four persons and the seizure of four excavators.
The Asenanyo Forest Reserve has faced persistent illegal mining activities since 2023. In 2024, four multimedia journalists investigating the destruction were abducted and assaulted in the area.
The forest, once part of a national reclamation drive, has suffered significant damage, including the destruction of trees planted under the restoration project. Additionally, tributaries of the Ankobra River that flow through the reserve have been heavily polluted as a result of the illegal activities.