The Upper West Regional Police Command has arrested seven individuals and seized several mining equipment and unregistered vehicles in latest crackdown on illegal mining activities near Dorimon in the Wa West District.
The operation, carried out on Thursday, April 10, targeted illegal mining operations on the Black Volta River at Chiantanga, a community known for recent environmental concerns stemming from small-scale mining.
In a press release signed by DCOP Nii Danto Offei Lomotey, the Upper West Regional Police Commander, the suspects were named as Sabugu Razak, Ibrahim Zuberu, Alex Amedzake, John Cobblah, Promise Dufe, Angelina Akpese, and Rebecca Tumawu.
The police retrieved ten Changfang machines used in alluvial mining, along with two unregistered PNE and Apsonic tricycles and a motorbike with registration numbers M-24-NR 6010 and M-23-UW 4413.
Additionally, two unregistered Haojue and Apsonic motorbikes and six student mattresses were confiscated from the site, suggesting that the suspects may have been camping there during their operations.
The suspects are currently in police custody, assisting with investigations, and are expected to be arraigned before court soon.
“The Regional Police Command reiterates its commitment to cracking down on illegal mining activities in the region,” the statement emphasized.
Illegal mining continues to pose serious threats to water bodies, farmlands, and community health in parts of Ghana. The Black Volta River, which serves as a vital water source for many communities in the Upper West Region, has been under pressure from unregulated mining activities that pollute the water and destroy surrounding ecosystems.
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