Ten Chinese nationals are expected to appear before the Circuit Court in Accra today, Wednesday, November 12, 2025 for allegedly engaging in illegal mining activities and possessing firearms and ammunition without lawful authority.
The accused persons; Qin Jia Jiang, 68, Li Jun Zhen, 23, Liang You Quing, 59, Yang Feng Quan, 38, Lan Yong Quan, 52, Wan Kai Quang, 52, Lu Jin Yi, 42, Yang Lei, 30, Huang Hong Fu, 39, and Bai Run Xian, 51, were arrested at Mankranso in the Ashanti Region on October 24, 2025.
They face four counts of conspiracy to commit crime, to wit: undertaking mining operations as non-Ghanaians, undertaking mining operations as non-Ghanaians, possession of firearms without lawful authority and possession of ammunition without lawful authority.
According to court documents, the accused were first arraigned on November 6, 2025 before Her Honour Susana Eduful, who remanded them into police custody for one week, upon a prayer from the prosecution. The prosecution said their pleas were not taken because investigations were still ongoing.
In remanding them, Her Honour Eduful noted that although she had reviewed the charges, the police were yet to establish the legitimacy of the accused persons’ mining operations in Ghana.
She added that the remand was necessary in the interest of justice, with the possibility of bail being considered at the next adjourned date.
Brief Facts
Prosecutors said that on October 24, 2025, at about 11:30 a.m., a joint security team comprising personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces, Police Service, Immigration Service and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), led by Lt. Adjei from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat, conducted a patrol at Mankranso in the Ashanti Region to clamp down on illegal mining.
Upon reaching Abusa Village, the team discovered a camp allegedly occupied by Chinese nationals actively engaged in illegal mining.
The team arrested the ten suspects and, during a search of their premises, retrieved 18 tanks of fuel, a gold-washing machine, 10 pump action shotguns and a large carton containing BB ammunition.
The suspects were transported to Accra along with the seized items for further investigation.
The case, which has drawn public attention amid ongoing government efforts to curb illegal mining, also highlights concerns about the increasing use of firearms in such operations.
The accused persons remain in custody pending the court’s decision on their bail application at the next sitting.
