Western Regional Forestry Manager of Forestry Commission, Nana Kwabena Poku Bosompim
The Western Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission, Nana Kwabena Poku Bosompim, has stated that the illegal mining menace, popularly referred to as galamsey, has turned Ghana into a safe haven for human trafficking.
According to him, if illegal mining is not brought under control, it will continue to attract more people into the country, promoting other illicit activities.
“In fact, it appears, and it’s becoming clear to us, that the illegal mining menace in Ghana is making our country a probable safe haven for human trafficking of women and young girls,” he stated.
In a JoyNews video posted on X, he revealed that the Subri River Forest Reserve in the Western Region, which was raided by an anti-illegal mining task force on April 15, 2025, uncovered a sprawling community of about 10,000 residents.
These included nationals from nearly every country in the West African sub-region.
According to him, the settlement was a well-orchestrated operation run by an organized gang.
“This was a complete plan. It was being run by a gang. We saw evidence of human trafficking, narcotic trade, cocaine, weed, tramadol, and for the first time, I saw this red substance. A lot of it. You open a box and it just keeps dropping. That is the situation within that community,” Nana Bosompim explained.
He described the illegal settlement as a “mini ECOWAS,” due to the presence of many nationals from across the West African sub-region.
“We saw people from Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire, all engaged in the illegal mining menace. We saw many young girls, aged between 14 and 18, who had been trafficked, most of them from Nigeria. I spoke to one lady who told me she had been in the camp for seven months, working as a prostitute for her madam who lives in Asikuma,” he disclosed.
MRA/MA
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