Police update on galamsey fight: 99 Excavators seized, 208 arrested

The police have arrested 208 suspects in connection with illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, in a series of operations in some galamsey-endemic areas that started in March this year.

The police have so far retrieved 99 excavators, three bulldozers, four pump-action guns, three single-barrelled guns and a pistol in the special operations, also undertaken in several Regional Police Commands, a highly placed police source has said.

The police special operations worked independently, predominantly, but some of the commands sometimes worked with other agencies.

From March this year till date, the special anti-galamsey operations commissioned by the Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, have also seized 11 changfangs – a boat fitted with water pumping and milling machines for washing the gold ore body – together with several other exhibits, including vehicles, motorbikes, tricycles, generators, gold detectors and pumping machines, have been received by the police.

The source told the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday that all the suspects were being taken through the due processes of the law.

Regional operations

The source disclosed that the Western Central Regional Police Command made the largest arrests of 85 suspects, made up of 76 Ghanaians and nine Chinese.

The Command also retrieved 11 excavators and other exhibits.

The Western Regional Police Command arrested 19 suspects, retrieved three excavators and three pump action guns, among other exhibits, the source added.

The Upper West Regional Police Command arrested seven suspects, retrieved 11 changfangs and three motorbikes, among other exhibits.

In the Eastern South Regional Police Command, the police arrested 24 suspects, including a Burkinabe.

The Command also retrieved five excavators, three single-barrel guns and one pump action gun, among other exhibits.

In the Eastern North Regional Command, the police arrested 15 suspects, including one Chinese, and retrieved four excavator control boards, nine monitors, one pistol and other exhibits.

“The Ghana Police Service assures the public of its commitment to fighting illegal mining and preserving the country’s natural resources,” a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Grace Akrofi-Ansah, said.

Background

The Ghana Police Service in March this year started the special anti-galamsey operations in various communities affected by illegal mining.

In March and April alone, a series of police operations were conducted at Samreboi along the Tano River, Wassa Dunkwa, Tigarikrom and surrounding communities in the Western Region.

In those operations, the police arrested 58 suspects, made up of 50 Ghanaians and eight Chinese, and retrieved 85 excavators, as well as three bulldozers.