Illegal Mining: 1 arrested, others flee as task force storms Subri Forest Reserve again

A Rapid Response Team from the Takoradi Forest District carried out an operation in the Subri Forest Reserve in the afternoon of March 20 to arrest illegal miners operating with heavy machinery.

This is the second time such operation is being embarked in the Subri Reserve to flush out illegal miners. The previous exercise led to the arrest of nine illegal miners.

The team acting on intelligence, raided Compartment 219 of the reserve, where miners had already cleared approximately 0.6 hectares of forest cover.

During the operation, the team managed to arrest one suspect and seized an excavator.

However, many other illegal miners fled the scene upon hearing the team’s approach.

Officials of the Forestry Commission believe these miners are well-organized, with armed guards stationed in the forest to protect their activities, making certain areas of the reserve dangerous for patrols.

The arrested suspect has been handed over to the Western Regional Police Command for further investigation and possible prosecution.

 Source: 3news.com