The Operation Halt II group has arrested six suspects discovered working at an unlawful mining web site and likewise partaking in different poor environmental practices at Mile 9 and different communities within the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Area.
The suspects, six Chinese language and a Ghanaian, have been discovered partaking in unlawful mining in defiance of the federal government’s ban on exercise, popularly referred to as galamsey.
They’ve wreaked havoc on the atmosphere and water our bodies, together with River Offin.
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Since Tuesday, June 6, the Operation Halt II group has mounted a sustained operation.
They’ve patrolled Apamprama Forest Reserve, Oda Forest Reserve, Bosomtwe Forest Vary and different galamsey websites in Ashanti Area.
Districts visited included Amansie Central, Amansie South, Bekwai Municipal and Bosome Freho District.
These arrested have been galamsey operators mining off reserve space of Bosomtwe Vary Forest, unlawful mining websites and different unauthorized websites.
The group seized 30 excavators with a few of them being decommissioned.
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Different machines for unlawful mining have been additionally burnt by the group throughout the operation.
Their mission is to struggle towards unlawful mining in forest reserves and river our bodies.
Some Changfan machines, water pumping machines gas storage tanks and different improvised mining tools and buildings have been all affected.
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The six Chinese language arrested have been handed over to the Immigration Officers within the Bekwai Municipality while the excavators have been taken to the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces in Kumasi.
The Deputy Commander of the Operation Halt II, Lt. Col. Louis Boakye, mentioned the train was to conduct confirmatory patrols in areas visited.
“We’re enterprise confirmatory patrols to test whether or not we have now unlawful miners inside our forest reserves we visited final time,” he acknowledged.
He expressed fear on how the unlawful miners have invaded forest reserves and destroyed financial bushes and water our bodies.
In response to him, the motion of unlawful miners poses menace to farmers and safety.
He appealed to the individuals to desist from damaging apply.
He assured that “we struggle to win and by no means surrender”.
The Ring Chief of the Fast Response Workforce of the Bekwai Forest District, Ebenezer Appiah, expressed critical concern about the way in which data is leaked to the galamsey operators when they’re embarking on a patrol.
“We’re doing our greatest to guard the forest reserves,” he mentioned.
He mentioned the continual assaults on Workforce by the unlawful miners pose critical menace to members.
By Benjamin Aidoo|3news.com|Ghana
