The Central Regional Police Command has arrested seven individuals for engaging in illegal mining activities at Abora in the Upper Denkyira West District.
The arrests followed an intelligence-led operation targeting the site, where the suspects were reportedly caught in the act. The individuals arrested have been identified as: Latif Abdul Gyimah (55), Mohammed Bello (44), George Azu (52), Kingsley Owusu (23), Sampson Afadzi (45), Simon Atakpo (21), and Andrews Otto (26)
During the operation, police seized a range of items believed to have been used in the illegal activities, including: One single-barrel shotgun, two pump-action shotguns (Mossberg 500A12GA) with serial numbers T069032 and T075882, Twenty-six live cartridges, two excavators and two Hyundai excavator monitors, three unregistered motorbikes, one unregistered Haojin tricycle, one newly installed water pump machine
Police say efforts are ongoing to retrieve additional excavators from the mining site.
All suspects are currently in police custody, assisting with investigations. The seized items have been placed in secure police storage as evidence.
The Central Regional Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to cracking down on illegal mining operations and urged the public to continue sharing information that may help in protecting the environment and enforcing the law.
By Peter Quao Adattor
