A joint anti-illegal mining operation by the Forestry Commission (FC) has led to the arrest of 11 suspects, including eight Ghanaians and three Chinese nationals, in the Pra Anum Forest Reserve in the Eastern Region.
The dawn operation, carried out on Sunday, 14 December 2025, involved 28 officers drawn from three Rapid Response Teams, supported by personnel from the Oda Forest District of the Forest Services Division (FSD).
The arrests were made in Compartment 70 of the Pra Anum Forest Reserve at Banka, within the Oda Forest District.
During the operation, officers seized:
- Two pickup vehicles (Toyota, Reg. No. GW 4974-23 and Great Wall, Reg. No. GT 4189-25)
- Eight excavators
- One automatic pump-action gun
The Ghanaian suspects were identified as Mohammed Mustapha (25), Aminu Moro (48), Owusu Emmanuel (28), Raymond Opoku Agyemang (32), Teye Joseph (32), Oduro Emmanuel (29), Aaron Oppong Gyebi (36), and Isaac Apana (32).
The Chinese nationals arrested are Jun Hunay (42), Wen Yong Feng (49), and Lu Zheng Zhan (37).
All 11 suspects have been handed over to the Asante Akim Juaso District Police Command to assist ongoing investigations and prosecution. The seized vehicles have been conveyed to the Oda Forest District Office for safekeeping.
The Forestry Commission has reiterated its commitment to sustained enforcement actions to protect Ghana’s forest reserves from illegal mining activities.
By paqmediagh/Peter Quao Adattor
