An operation led by the western regional Forward Operation Base of vanguard 15 led to the arrest of 14 Chinese Nationals for illegally engaging in illegal mining contrary to section 99 of act 900 0f Minerals and mining amended act 2015.
The Chinese nationals were arrested at Wassa Dunkwa in the Asangrakwa municipality.
According to sources ,the Chinese nationals own about 9 large scale concessions within the municipality and has about 15 Excavators for perpetrating the act .
Information reaching
www.adwoadubianews.com indicate that ,intelligence gathered by FOB west of Vanguard 15 on 10th Feb 2020 revealed that, the Chinese galamseyers were engaged in illegal surface mining within wassa Dunkwa forest.
The officer commanding FOB WEST Capt. Kabenla and his 2i/c dispatched a team of about 30 men led by capt .RB Blackman and DSP Ebenezer kwaku Darkey to the site to effect the arrest of the chinese galamseyers. The successful operation led to the arrest of the 14 chinese nationals namely li Yan Yin,36years, Chou Minchong,42 years, Chen Yundun 20yrs, Huang Wenyu 44 years , Wan Tunden 55 years, Wu Xin Lni ,32 yrs, Wan Dundon 47 years, wan li Fun ,33 years , Che Chi Yun 50 years , Wan Chin Chou 36 years, Huang Jia Wei 36 years, Qin Xixi 50years, and Zhang Jin Fon 45 years .
The team also burnt about 13 changfan machines , retrieved 4 foreign pump action guns and 50 boxes of AAA catridges Ammunition. The team as well retrieved some military and paramilitary accoutrements.
The suspects were brought to Accra to the inter Ministerial committee on illegal mining for further action and subsequently arraigned before court.
Operation Vanguard is a Military Police Joint Task Force (JTF) set up by the President of Ghana in 2017 to combat the operation of galamsey in Ghana.
Galamseyers are illegal miners and have over the years depleted Ghana’s forest cover. Their activities also pollute water bodies due to the crude and unregulated nature of the mining process.The Joint operation Taskforce has 4 FOBs in areas where the activities of galamseyers are rampant in western, Ashanti ,central and Eastern regions of Ghana. Operation vanguard was established to curb the menace.