Ten people have been arrested for engaging in illicit mining activities that resulted in significant harm to the Oda River Forest Reserve in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region.
Of the ten people arrested, seven are Ghanaians and three Chinese.
Between December 6 and 8, 2023, the Bekwai Forest District and the Rapid Response Teams of four other forest districts carried out a three-day operation.
The project is a component of the Forestry Commission’s continuous campaigns against galamsey, or illicit mining, in the nation’s forest reserves.
It was found that the illegal miners were working in seven areas known as “red zones” within the forest reserve during the operation.
The illegal miners’ tools and two Toyota Hilux pickup trucks (registration numbers 1265 A and GT 7366-12) were seized. In addition, seven wooden structures, two chanfang machines, five water pumping machines, nine power plants, ten excavators, and 19 fuel tanks were rendered immobile.
The Oda River Forest Reserve is still one of the hotspots for galamsey, according to the State of the Nation’s Forest report that was given by the Forestry Commission on May 2 of this year.
As to the assessment, illicit miners had destroyed 421.11 hectares of the forest reserve.
All 10 suspects have been remanded into police custody.
