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Eight persons who were allegedly engaged in illegal gold mining on the concession of Golden Star Resources Limited have been arrested in a swoop by the Western Regional Security Council (REGSEC).
The police retrieved two electric generators and set fire to other equipment used by the illegal miners to serve as a deterrent to others — the suspects have been handed over to the police in Prestea for further investigations.
Members of the REGSEC led by its Chairman, Western Regional Minister Ebenezer Addo, and his Deputy Ekow Gyan; the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye; and the Commander of the Second Battalion of Infantry G.T. Sam, embarked on an operation to get rid of illegal miners from the company’s concession.
Mr. Addo, at a media briefing after the swoop, pointed out that REGSEC is to flush out illegal gold miners who have invaded the concessions of big mining companies operating in the region and are degrading the environment.
He deplored the rate at which the environment is being degraded, and explained that the swoop is in response to information REGSEC had that some ‘galamsey’ operators were causing havoc to the environment — “We decided to come here to ascertain the truth”.
DCOP Kofi Boakye appealed to residents in the area not to take the law into their own hands, but instead collaborate with the police to put illegal operators out of business.
Source: B&FT
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