The Ghana Police Service has arrested four Chinese nationals for allegedly operating an illegal mining site dangerously close to key water bodies in the Adansi Asokwa District of the Ashanti Region.
According to a statement issued by the Ashanti South Regional Police Command on Saturday, June 29, 2025, the arrests were the result of a targeted intelligence-led operation conducted in collaboration with the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Development Fund, Dr. Hanna Bisiw, and her team.
The suspects—Li Quan, 44; Lu Jianzheng, 36; Li Xuyu, 47; and Su Shanxing, 63—were apprehended at an unauthorised site in Atatam, where they had allegedly set up mining operations along the Subin and Jimi Rivers. Both rivers are vital sources of drinking water for communities in the area, making the illegal activity a major environmental and public health threat.
Authorities seized seven excavators from the site, which have since been secured in police custody. Additionally, three pump-action guns believed to belong to the suspects were confiscated during the raid. All four individuals are currently in custody and assisting with ongoing investigations.
Police say the raid is part of a wider national crackdown on illegal mining, commonly referred to as “galamsey,” which continues to ravage Ghana’s natural resources, particularly its water bodies and arable lands.
The Subin River, in particular, has suffered extensive pollution and siltation over the years, with illegal mining cited as a primary culprit. Officials warn that continued destruction of riverbanks could soon lead to irreversible environmental damage if aggressive enforcement is not sustained.
Footage circulating on social media shows Dr. Bisiw, flanked by armed officers, leading the operation through dense forest terrain, with the arrested Chinese nationals visibly under escort. The video has stirred significant public interest and reignited calls for tougher penalties against foreign nationals flouting Ghana’s mining laws.
The police reaffirmed their commitment to rooting out illegal mining across all regions and warned that no individual, local or foreign, would be spared if found culpable.
