Three Chinese, a Ghanaian arrested for illegal mining
Three Chinese and a Ghanaian have been arrested in the Diaso Forest, near Ayiem in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central Region for engaging in illegal mining.
They are: Wi, Pancho Hu, Tan Hi and Daniel Ayambira, a Ghanaian excavator operator.
The arrest was effected by the Volunteers Against Environmental Degradation (VAED) on Saturday dawn and had since been handed over to the Diaso Police, awaiting trial.
Mr Richard Addo, the President of the VAED, who confirmed the arrest to the Ghana News Agency in a telephone interview on Monday, said the suspects were caught red-handed engaging in illegal mining.
He said the suspects took to their heels upon seeing the members of the volunteers and gave them a hot chase until they were arrested.
Mr Addo said the volunteers destroyed the pumping machines and excavators being used by the illegal miners.
He expressed worry that, some Ghanaians were still fronting for the Chinese, hence their continuous engagement in the practice.
Mr Addo said the volunteers had pictures and videos of the Chinese illegal activities, which would be used as evidence to prosecute them.
In May last year, government, through the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, issued a directive, banning all forms of illegal mining in the country.
Government also deployed joint military and police taskforce to Western, Central, Eastern and Ashanti regions to enforce the ban.
The taskforce has since arrested more than 1,000 illegal miners and seized a number of excavators, changfans and pumping machines being used for illegal mining.
Ghana has been battling the menace of illegal mining, otherwise known as galamsey, for more than two decades resulting in the destruction of forest cover and pollution of water bodies.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has also pledged his unflinching support to halt the practice once and for all.
The President urged all well-meaning Ghanaians to support his agenda in order to save the environment from further destruction and preserve it for the present and the future generations.
Source: GNA