Some of the Chinese illegal miners
A total of 51 foreigners, prominent among them being Chinese nationals, who are engaging in illegal mining activities also called “galamsey” in the Western Region have been arrested by the Regional Police Command in separate operations at different locations.
Armed with excavators, bulldozers, other sophisticated equipment and guns, the foreign illegal miners have been degrading farmlands, polluting rivers, destroying buildings and maiming people, in their quest to scramble for gold wherever the precious mineral was found.
There had also been a number of robbery cases reported at the mining sites, ostensibly attacks on Chinese nationals.
DCOP Kofi Baokye, Western Regional Police commander disclosed this at a press briefing on illegal mining activities by foreign nationals in the region.
He stressed that his outfit would adopt pragmatic strategies to flush out illegal mining operators, particularly foreigners who were not supposed to engage in any form of small-scale mining.
He revealed that the police were able to arrest the foreign illegal miners in concert with the Municipal and District Security Councils within the region.
Arrest At Sekyere Obuase
Explaining how the 51 alleged foreign galamsey operators were apprehended, DCOP Boakye noted that on May 14, 2013, at about 7:00 am, the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) and the Wassa East District Security Council (DISEC), were on their routine visit to Sekyere Obuase in the region.
He noted that the REGSEC and DISEC members were at the place to assess the extent of pollution to the River Pra and the devastation to its ecology caused by the “galamseyers”. He said four persons including three foreigners, illegally mining on the banks of River Pra, were arrested.
He mentioned the names of the suspects as Prince John Baidoo, a Ghanaian; Vicenzo Spagone, Bulgarian; Cielo Daniela, an Italian woman; Lan Zhang and Wei Jin Jie, both Chinese nationals.
Arrest At Enchi
The Regional Police Commander revealed that on May 16, 2013, a combined force of Police, Immigration and Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority from Enchi arrested five Chinese nationals and one Ghanaian for engaging in illegal mining.
He mentioned their names as Shi Qiguiang, 33; Li Daoning, 40; Zheng Yuanchiang, 35; Huang Ning, 18; Duang Waning, 42 and Emmanuel Bempong, 31.
According to DCOP Kofi Boakye, the illegal miners were seriously doing galamsey with excavator machines at a cocoa farm at Asamang near Kwawu in the Aowin District of the region. He added that one pump action gun with the number, TOSS 315 plus 56 rounds of 12mm (AAA) and (BBB) cartridges were retrieved from the mining site.
Arrest At Asankragwa
DCOP Kofi Bpakye continued that on May 21, 2013, a combined team of the Police, Immigration and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) in Asankragwa arrested 23 Chinese nationals at two separate locations at Kwabeng and Agona in the Wassa Amenfi West and Amenfi Central respectively.
Three pump action guns were seized from them and four excavators at the galamsey site were also impounded. “All the 23 Chinese nationals have been sent to the Regional Immigration office in Sekondi for processing and deportation to their home country,” he indicated.
Arrest At Prestea/Bogoso
DCOP Boakye told journalists that on May 22, 2013, a similar operation was carried out at Kumsono near Bogoso where three Chinese nationals were arrested for illegally mining on the concession of Golden Star Resources Limited, a gold mining company.
The Regional Police Commander said the suspects were arraigned before a circuit court on May 23, 2013 and were granted bail in the sum of GH¢50,000.00 with one surety each to be justified and reappear on June 4, 2013.
Arrest At Kutukrom
According to the Western Regional Police commander, the latest on the fight against galamsey took place at Kutukrom in the Nzema East Municipality during which 13 Chinese nationals were arrested.
The Chinese, according to DCOP Kofi Boakye, claimed they were working with Gianhua Mining Investment Limited on the concession of Kutukrom Resources Limited.
Four other Chinese were also arrested at Container, a village in the municipality. Items retrieved included two registered pump action guns and seven cartridges. He indicated that the suspects wound soon be processed for court.
“Let me warn the operators in the small-scale mining industry that there are laws and regulations to be complied with and the police would enforce all laws and regulations relating to mining,” he stressed.
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