In the Bosome Freho District of the Ashanti Region, six excavators used in illegal mining operations near the River Anum have been seized by the Ashanti Region Anti-Galamsey Task Force.
Three foreigners, including a Chinese, Indian, and Burkinabe, were taken into custody as part of the effort to purge illegal miners from roughly five of the river’s tributaries.
In an effort to put an end to galamsey in the region, the Ashanti Regional Security Council has launched a combined security task.
The Environmental Protection Authority, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Police Service, and Minerals Commission are among the taskforce’s members.
It was established following the Ashanti Regional Minister’s two-week ultimatum for all illegal miners to cease their activities in rivers and forests.
The Environmental Protection Authority used drones as part of the operations to locate illegal miners and their excavators. After learning of the taskforce’s presence on the field, it displayed the earthmoving equipment leaving the scene.
Using the coordinates that the EPA team had given them, the security personnel followed the equipment in order to make an arrest. Later, some Changfan boats were discovered floating on the river by the squad.
Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, Captain (Retired) John Jabari said, “we were about sixty percent successful, some of the excavators were not moved to the assembly because their boards had been removed making them immovable.”
In their desperate quest for gold, illegal miners have turned their attention to the tributaries of the River Anum.
The water bodies in the Bosome Freho District that are impacted are Anuru, Mentu, Adomesu, Bosompomaa, and Nana Mentu. A cocoa farm in its early stages of production is located approximately three hundred meters away from the illicit mining location.
Concerned about the damage being done to the water bodies, the farmer spoke on condition of anonymity.
“We used to cook with the water whenever we came to the farm, we have now resorted to sachet water so whenever we are short of water on the farm we have to close for the day”, he emphasised.
There used to be farms on the vast area of land that the miners destroyed. Residents claim that some of the lands were taken by force, while others were sold to the miners.
The taskforce, according to Captain (Retired) Jabari, is thinking about expanding its operations to include those who provide equipment to the illegal miners.
“On the route to Anwia Nkwantah, there are a lot of mining shops opened there, those are all part of the reason for this problem. We will sit and strategize on how to deal with all of that”, he added.