The Blue Water Guards have intensified their fight against illegal mining in the Wassa Amenfi East District, dismantling equipment and making arrests in a sweeping operation on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
The exercise, which covered Asikuma, Mensahkrom and the Eshire River at Wassa Akropong targeted miners accused of destroying roads and polluting water bodies.
At Mensahkrom, the taskforce found operators mining directly on the main road, compounding its already poor condition.
In all, 30 changfa engines, 18 pumping machines, 19 shovels, five hammers, more than 100 “outers,” two diggers, a pipeline, 50 washing boards and over 50 washing blankets were destroyed.
The team also torched five makeshift shelters, seized a gallon of diesel and impounded a tricycle, popularly known as “aboboyaa.”
Three suspects were arrested and handed over to the Wassa Akropong Police Command for further investigation.
Following the raid, the Guards held discussions with the local committee chairman and the chief of the area.
The chief handed over two excavators and four culverts, which were immediately used under taskforce supervision to reshape sections of the damaged road.
He also pledged two truckloads of gravel to support the rehabilitation effort. Monitoring of the affected sites is expected to continue on Wednesday.
The latest swoop underscores the Blue Water Guards’ resolve to shield communities, road networks and rivers in the Wassa Amenfi enclave from the destructive impact of illegal mining.
