58 suspected illegal miners within the Atiwa and Amansie Central
Districts in the Eastern and Western Regions respectively have been
arrested.
The team from Operation Vanguard [East] in the early hours of Monday
conducted operations at three separate locations within the general area
of Akurofufu which led to the arrest.
The Operation Vanguard team [East] arrested 32 suspects; 20 foreigners, 5 Nigeriens, 15 Burkinabes together with 12 Ghanaians.
The suspects are currently in the custody of the Anyinam, Osino and Kwabeng District Police Stations.
The foreign nationals will be handed over to the Immigration Service for further action to be taken.
The other 26 suspected illegal miners [by Operation Vanguard, Ashanti]
were apprehended within the general area of Aketekyieso in the Amansie
Central District in the Ashanti Region.
Items confiscated and processed as evidence from them include 2 Kia
trucks, 2 saloon cars, 8 motorcycles and 135 assorted sacks of stones
suspected to be containing gold ore.
The suspects are currently in the custody of the Obuasi Central Police Station pending further investigations.
President Akufo Addo last year commended the operations for its successes so far.
Operation Vanguard was launched in July 2017 to combat the activities of illegal miners
President Akufo-Addo has reiterated government’s commitment to equipping
the joint Police and Military task-force to check activities of illegal
mining in the country.
In May 2018 the Minister of the Interior, Ambrose Dery, also called on
all state institutions and other security agencies to complement the
efforts of the government’s anti-galamsey task force, Operation Vanguard
to help fight recalcitrant illegal miners.
But Pressure is mounting on the government to dissolve its
Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, following what has
largely been considered as a lost fight against illegal mining popularly
referred to as ‘galamsey’
