31 October 2013, Accra – Ghana’s Presidential Task Force on Illegal Mining has arrested some 47 illegal miners at Dunkwa-on-Offin in the country’s central region, an official has said.
Mr Samuel Sarpong, the Central Regional Minister and leader of the team was quoted by Ghana’s newspaper, the Ghanaian Times as saying this when he spoke to newsmen on Wednesday in Accra.
He said that those arrested included Chinese and Indian nationals following a search by the task force around the country.
“The task force also destroyed 13 locally made machines belonging to some of the miners at two different locations.
“At Kyekyewere, some of the illegal miners took to their heels and crossed the Offin river upon seeing the team,’’ he said.
Sarpong said that the mandate of the task force was to stamp out the activities of illegal miners across the country.
He said that the activities of illegal miners had destroyed water bodies in the country including the Pra and Offin Rivers.
“The situation is so severe that efforts must be made to protect the land and water bodies from total destruction,’’ he said.
The newspaper also quoted Ransford Ninson, the Central Regional Police Commander, as saying that the police was ready to support the task force in carrying out its mandate.
He said that the exercise would be sustained in to protect all water bodies and land in the mining regions of the country.
*NAN
