The Asante Bekwai Circuit court presided over by His Honor, Mark Dibolo, has remanded 22 out of 24 suspected illegal miners (Galamseyers) into prison custody for two weeks for abusing mining law.
The illegal miners were arrested by a Joint Security Taskforce led by C/Supt Joseph Nyaaba, Obuasi Divisional Police Commander for operating at Sukuma Forest reserve at Pewodie in the Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region.
According to DSP Martin Asanso, Obuasi District Police Commander the District Security Council arrested the illegal miners after mapping a strategy to arrest them and halt their operations.
The Miners aged between 14 and 45 have been operating in the middle of the forest for some time now despite the ban on illegal mining and mining in forest areas.
The taskforce also destroyed 16 Chamfan machines and over 200 tents whiles 104 pumping machines and 11 Gold detector machines were also seized from the Miners.
Mr. Asanso said the Security Taskforce is committed to nip the activities of illegal miners in the bud.
”83 Security personnel were involved in this operation. This is an indication of our preparedness to stop the activities of illegal miners,” he said.
Assistant Manager of the Bekwai District Forestory Commission, Mr. Palmer Aikins Amponsah explained that 24 persons were arrested at the Pawdie Forest reserve in a joint operations by the commission and other bodies but two of the accused upon investigations has revealed that the are farmers.
He expressed how happy he is owing to the fact that the Judiciary is aiding and fast tracking such cases.
He warned illegal miners to desist from the act to avert being thrown to jail as the commission is bent on fighting against illegal mining.
