Ghana arrests 47 illegal Chinese, Indian miners

Ghana arrests 47 illegal Chinese, Indian
miners
on october 30, 2013 at 8:56 pm in news
Abidjan – Ghana’s Presidential Task Force on Illegal
Mining has arrested some 47 illegal miners at
Dunkwa-on-Offin in the country’s central region, an
official has said.
Mr Samuel Sarpong, the Central Regional Minister
and leader of the team was quoted by Ghana’s
newspaper, the Ghanaian Times as saying this
when he spoke to newsmen on Wednesday in
Accra.
He said that those arrested included Chinese and
Indian nationals following a search by the task force
around the country.
“The task force also destroyed 13 locally made
machines belonging to some of the miners at two
different locations.
“At Kyekyewere, some of the illegal miners took to
their heels and crossed the Offin river upon seeing
the team,’’ he said.
Sarpong said that the mandate of the task force was
to stamp out the activities of illegal miners across
the country.
He said that the activities of illegal miners had
destroyed water bodies in the country including the
Pra and Offin Rivers.
“The situation is so severe that efforts must be
made to protect the land and water bodies from
total destruction,’’ he said.
The newspaper also quoted Ransford Ninson, the
Central Regional Police Commander, as saying that
the police was ready to support the task force in
carrying out its mandate.
He said that the exercise would be sustained in to
protect all water bodies and land in the mining
regions of the country. (NAN)