Police arrests 51 foreigners for illegal mining in Western Region

The Western Regional Police Command has in one month arrested 51 foreigners involved in illegal small-scale mining at separate locations in the Region.

The suspects have been handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service for processing and possible repatriation to their home countries.

The Western Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Kofi Boakye told journalists on Tuesday that Chinese were in majority, as well as Italians and Bulgarians.

He said on 14th May 2013, the Regional Security Council (RESEC) and Wassa East District Security Council arrested four Ghanaians and three foreigners at Sekyere-Obuase.

The suspects were Prince John Baidoo, Vicenzo Spagone, a Bulgarian, Cielo Daniela, an Italian, Lan Zhang and Wei Jin Jie, both Chinese.

On May 16, the security taskforce also arrested five Chinese at Enchi at Aowin District in a special mining operation.

They were Shi Qiguiang, Li Daoning, Zheng Yuanchiang, Huang Ning, Duang Waning, as well as Emmanuel Bempong, a Ghanaian, adding that some heavy machinery were used in the mining operation and one pump action gun were seized by the taskforce.

In another operation on 21st May, 23 Chinese were also arrested at Kwabeng and Agona Amenfi in the Wassa Amenfi West and Central respectively.

On 22nd May, the security taskforce at Prestea in another operation arrested three Chinese at Kumsono, near Bogoso for illegally mining on the concession of the Golden Star Resources Limited.

The suspects were arrested and arraigned before court on May 23 and were granted GHȼ50,000 with one surety each and would re-appear on June 4, 2013.

The latest operation on the fight against galamsey took place at Kutukrom in the Ellembelle District where 17 Chinese were arrested.

Thirteen Chinese arrested in this operation claimed they were working with Gianhua Mining Investment Limited and that they were prospecting for gold.

DCOP Boakye said four of the Chinese were arrested in a container at a village near Kutukrom and the taskforce retrieved items including two registered pump action guns and seven cartridges.

The Regional Police Commander said the issue of illegal mining popularly called “galamsey” had assumed a national dimension hence the formation of Inter Ministerial Taskforce by President John Dramani Mahama, charged to adopt proactive and pragmatic strategies to flush out illegal mining operators in the country.

In view of this he said, the RESEC comprising the Police Service, Immigration Service, Military, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), as well as the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies had been working together to clamp down on the illegal small-scale mining in the Region.

DCOP Boakye said the illegal small-scale miners could be grouped into four categories namely, those who did not have mining license to operate, people who have mining licenses but are using unapproved tools and equipment to undertake deep mining, as well as those who had licenses to operate but failed to reclaim the degraded land after extensive environmental degradation and people who sub-leased their mining licenses to foreigners to do small-scale mining.

He said entreated all well meaning Ghanaians to support the security agencies in flushing the illegal activities out of the system.

Source: GNA