Galamsey: Soldiers pick up National Security Operatives at Atewa Forest

Men of the Ghana Armed Forces have picked up several alleged National Security Operatives for using their influence to illegally mine for gold in the virgin Atewa Forest.

The 14 reported National Security agents were picked up in the Atewa Forest after soldiers and townsfolks stormed the forest and gave the illegal “Galamsey” mining National Security officers a hot chase.

The suspects were earlier transferred from the Asamankese police station on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, but were moved to Accra today, Wednesday, May 5, 2021, in police branded Buses.

Reports picked up by Whatsup News indicate that angry youth of Akyem Akanteng invaded the Atewa Forest reserve to arrest about seventeen (17) illegal miners including 14 National Security Operatives who claimed to be working at the Jubilee House.

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According to the youth in the town, While the Akufo Addo administration claim it was rooting out illegal mining activities in Ghana’s river bodies, the National Security operatives sneaked into the forest at dawn to illegally mine gold.

However, the vigilant youth massed up stormed the forest, disarmed the operatives and handed them over to the Police.

The five vehicles used by the operatives were also vandalized with some of the tires deflated. The damaged vehicles included a Tundra with registration number NR 9706-20, a Toyota Hilux with registration number GT 9683-14 and Nissan Patrol GR with registration number GW 1966-12.

According to the Asamankese Divisional Police Commander ACP Kankam Boadu, some of the arms seized by the residents have been retrieved with others still missing.

“They identified themselves as National Security Personnel and some of their sidearms and firearms seized by members of the community, we were able to retrieve some of the others are missing so the investigation is ongoing”. He said.

The Assembly Member for the Akyem Akanteng Henry Owusu Kesse told Accra-based Starr News that, “For the past three weeks going to one month, we have seen lots of movement to the Atewa Forest.”

“We are told there is a discovery of a new gold deposit. About some weeks ago, some national security operatives with arms came there to seize gold deposits amidst gunfire…one Barfuor Asare who says he is chairman of the small-scale miners also came there to deceive us by also taking some of the gold dust away. So, we were on alert to protect the forest when on Sunday and Monday night armed men including national security operatives invaded the forest so the youth massed up and arrested them,” the excited Assemblyman said.

Source: Whatsupnews ghana