The Nkawie Divisional Police have arrested four individuals for allegedly impersonating national security operatives to extort money from small-scale miners under the guise of anti-galamsey enforcement.
The arrests were made in the Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipality, where the suspects are accused of storming mining sites, stopping miners and demanding money while falsely claiming to be acting on behalf of state security agencies.
Police investigations indicate that three members of the group openly posed as national security personnel and were allegedly seen wielding a private pump-action gun to intimidate their victims.
Further checks revealed that a pickup vehicle used during the illegal operations is registered as the official vehicle of the Atwima Kwanwoma Constituency Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Simon Alolga. Police say investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the vehicle’s use.
The development echoes a similar operation in October 2025, when the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat dismantled illegal mining networks in the Oda River Forest Reserve, arresting armed impostors who were also posing as national security operatives.
The Ghana Police Service has once again cautioned the public against impersonating security personnel, stressing that such criminal acts erode public trust and undermine genuine efforts to combat illegal mining.
Police say the suspects are currently in custody and will be put before court as investigations continue.
By paqmediagh/Peter Quao Adattor
