The Eastern Regional Police Command has arrested four Chinese nationals for allegedly mining illegally at Topreman, a village near Akwatia in the Eastern Region.
Confirming the arrest to Citi News, the Eastern Regional Police Commander, ACP George Alex Mensah, said a 30-man contingent from the Regional police headquarters carried out the operation on Saturday April 9th.
The Commander stated that, two Toyota pickups, a box full of 155 BB cartridge of ammunition, a pump action gun, a locally made single barrel pistol, and 5 excavators, have been confiscated and are all at the regional headquarters.
ACP George Alex Mensah added that, the four suspects are in police custody, and will be arranged before court this week.
“The war against these illegal miners just started in the Eastern Region, my men and I are ever ready to contribute our quota to fight galamsey operators in this region. What we need is the support of the state, the judicial service who will prosecute those we arrest so that our hard work will not be in vain, the suspects will be sent to court to face the law.”
He however called for stakeholder involvement in fighting the menace.
“If we all believe and have now accepted that galamsey is very bad and is causing a lot of havoc to us, our water bodies and environment, our politicians, traditional leaders and the powerful people in the society should all be true to their words and put their feet firmly on the ground for us to flush out these illegal miners.”
“I do not want any inference from these powerful individuals, what we need to do as a country is to get all the machines and excavators out from the bush because if we arrest them and we leave the excavators in the bush, others also go to use it, so the government should support us with logistics to help us move all the excavators from the bush.”
Seven Chinese are currently facing trial for mining in others areas in the Eastern Region.
The Police arrested them at Denkyira, a village near Nkawkaw. Three Ghanaian accomplices were also arrested in a swoop by the Police.
In the Western Region, some Chinese nationals and Ghanaians were also arrested and are facing trial.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
