The Atwima Mponua District Police Command has arrested nine (9) illegal miners on Sunday August 14, 2022 in a joint operation.
The suspects were arrested by the police personnel early morning in a company with the Ashanti Regional Command of the Ghana Immigration Service and National Security Operatives from Greater Accra.
One of the suspects managed to escape from the moving vehicle when they were being transported to the Atwima Mponua District Police headquarters in Nyinahin, the district capital.
The suspects are Kwadwo Bosompem, 30, Doga Etse, 31, Winner Soyi, 25 and Ayittey Anaglo, 38.
The rest are Collins Teye,24, Amanuve Kpaleba, 22, Bandim Andrews, 42 (alias Nana Yaw) and Noah Baba, a 22- year old Year Two student of Yeji Senior High School.
Isaac Kofi Marfo, the District Chief Executive of Atwima Mponua, who led the operations, arrested the suspects at separate locations at Mpasatia and Abompe, along the Offin River.
The securities burnt Changfan machines and confiscated other items used by the suspects in their nefarious operations.
In an interview with the media, Mr. Isaac Kofi Marfo, commended the security personnel for their swift response to his distress calls to assist him in his fight against illegal mining operations which have raised its ugly head in the district.
He noted that the arrest of the suspects would deter any would-be miners from engaging in that evil act adding that the arrest would help save River Offin and other water bodies in the country.
Mr. Marfo appealed to the chiefs, unit committee members and inhabitants in the mining communities to join hands with the security to fight the menace to help protect national assets and the environment by volunteering information to him.
He was happy that the arrest of the suspects will exonerate him from allegations levelled against him by persons he perceived were his detractors.
DCE’s Earlier Press Conference
Isaac Kofi Marfo on Saturday, August 13, 2022, held a press conference at Nyinahin to distance himself from a viral video on social media, alleging that he was into illegal mining activities.
In the viral video, the DCE was accused of hiring 1000 Togolese nationals to the area to operate in illegal mining activities.
He challenged any individual with evidence of his involvement in galamsey activities along the Offin River or any other place to prove.
He accused some individuals within the NPP in the Atwima Mponua District of envying his position.
Hon. Kofi Marfo led some media men to his residence to show them several tanks of diesel impounded in his operations with the District Security Committee (DISEC).
“As the chairman of DISEC, I will not sit unconcern for galamsey activities to go on in my district. I have embarked on several operation with the securities to curb this menace. If there is any galamsey activity anywhere, I expect the assembly members, unit committee members and opinion leaders in that area to inform me to take action,” he said.
Source: swiftnewsonline.com