The Ashanti Region Anti-Galamsey Task Force has seized six excavators deployed in illegal mining operations along River Anum in the Bosome Freho District of the Ashanti Region.
Three foreign nationals including a Chinese, Indian and a Burkinabe were arrested in the operation to rid about five tributaries of the river of illegal miners.
The joint security task is part of the Ashanti Regional Security Council’s efforts to end galamsey in the Region.
The taskforce includes personnel from the Ghana Police Service, Environmental Protection Authority, Minerals Commission and Ghana Immigration Service.
It was formed after the expiration of a two-week ultimatum by the Ashanti Regional Minister for all illegal miners to halt their operations in forests and river bodies.
The operations included the deployment of drones by the Environmental Protection Authority to pick locations of illegal miners and their excavators.
It showed movement of the earthmoving equipment from the site upon information of the taskforce’s presence on the field.
The security operatives with the coordinates provided by the EPA team tracked the equipment to effect arrest.
The team later found some changfan boats floating on the river.
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.”
Tributaries of the River Anum have become targets of illegal miners in their desperate search for gold.
Anuru, Mentu, Adomesu, Bosompomaa, and Nana Mentu are among the affected water bodies in the Bosome Freho District.
About three hundred metres from the illegal mining site is a cocoa farm in its early production stages.
The farmer who spoke on condition of anonymity is worried about the harm being done to the water bodies.
“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.
The large tract of land destroyed by the miners were once farmlands.
According to members of the community, some of the lands were sold to the miners while others were forcibly taken.
Captain (Retired) Jabari says the taskforce is considering extending activities to persons supplying 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.
