Three suspected illegal miners have been arrested and several mining equipment, including weapons, seized during a special anti-galamsey operation by the Ghana Police Service at Diaso in the Central Region.
The suspects, Prosper Quansah, Chrispin Nartey, and Owusu Gambra—were picked up at Adeade, a known illegal mining site in the area, on Friday, June 20, as part of two separate coordinated swoops at Adeade and Nikanika.
In a statement issued by the police on Sunday, June 22, the Special Anti-Galamsey Task Force initially stormed Nikanika but found no persons actively operating at the site.
However, they retrieved one single-barrel shotgun loaded with a cartridge and three water pumping machines.
The operation was later extended to Adeade, where the three suspects were arrested in possession of an excavator being transported on a lowbed trailer.
The statement disclosed that “one (1) SANY excavator, four (4) unregistered Haojin motorbikes, and one (1) lowbed vehicle with registration number GN 2136-24 were seized from the scene.”
It further noted, “The suspects are currently in police custody assisting investigations, while all exhibits have been secured in police custody.”
The operation forms part of intensified efforts by the police to clamp down on illegal mining activities that continue to threaten water bodies and farmlands across the country.
