The Western Regional Security Council (REGSEC), led by the Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, has launched an operation to crack down on illegal miners along the Ankobra River.
The joint operation carried out on Tuesday, this week, involved personnel from the Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Police Service, Takoradi Air Force, Western Naval Command and Second Infantry Battalion.
The operation yielded significant results, including the retrieval of eight excavators, seven pump-action guns, sixty-six cartridges and four mobile phones.
That apart, several water pumping machines and shelters belonging to the illegal miners were destroyed.
Western Region National Security Liaison Officer, Brigadier General Musa Whajah (Rtd), promised to ensure that Ankobra River had returned to its normal state.
Speaking to the media, Brigadier General Musa Whajah (Rtd) said, “At the end of the operation, we seized eight excavators, seven pump-action guns, sixty-six cartridges and four mobile phones for further investigation.
“Additionally, several water pumping machines and shelters belonging to the illegal miners were destroyed”.
He stressed “this won’t be a one-off operation. We’ll conduct more operations and possibly deploy canoes to patrol the Ankobra and Pra rivers, ensuring they return to their normal state.
“Farm lands including that of cocoa, and the Ankobra River are under severe threat due to illegal mining activities atAmpasie, Atongo Junction, Petro, and Dominase in the Evalue Ajomoro Gwira Constituency.
“Our site visit revealed extensive land destruction in the pursuit of gold, with several acres ravaged. Alarmingly, these mining activities are occurring less than a kilometer from the Ankobra River, posing a direct risk of contamination,” he said.
He noted, however, that logistics have become a significant challenge in conducting operations, but that would not hinder their efforts.
“A key challenge has been logistics, but it hasn’t hindered our efforts to conduct operations. The devastation along the riverbanks sometimes also slows our movement and activities, but we’re up to the task,” he added.
