A joint military and police taskforce conducted a midnight raid on an illegal mining site situated within a Western Region forest reserve. According to a GhanaWeb report fifteen foreign nationals were apprehended during the operation for their suspected involvement in unauthorized mining activities. The Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service have not yet released the specific nationalities of the detainees.
During the enforcement exercise security personnel decommissioned several pieces of heavy machinery found at the site. A GhanaWeb report indicates that multiple excavators and water pumping machines were destroyed to prevent further environmental damage. The taskforce stated that these measures are part of a broader national strategy to combat the spread of illegal mining known locally as galamsey.
The suspects were transported to a regional police facility for further interrogation and processing. Officials from the Minerals Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources have indicated in previous statements that foreign nationals found participating in small-scale mining are in direct violation of the Minerals and Mining Act. The specific court where the suspects will be arraigned remains unconfirmed by official police channels at this time.
Authorities are currently conducting an investigation to identify the local collaborators who allegedly facilitated the entry of the foreign nationals into the protected forest reserve. The Western Regional Police Command has not provided a timeline for the formal filing of charges. Environmental advocates have praised the operation while calling for sustained monitoring of the affected forest zones to prevent the return of illegal operators.