Over 40 illegal miners operating with chanfans on the Birim River narrowly escaped arrest after swimming in the heavily silted river and crossing over into the bushes.
The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners Taskforce with support from the Ghana Police Service in Anyinam on Friday, October 4, also set ablaze 20 chanfan polluting the Birim River at Moaso and it’s surrounding communities in the Atewa West District of the Eastern Region.
The task force arrested one Togolese national and also confiscated 4 pumping machines, a newly acquired chanfan which was due to be deployed into the Birim River and other mining equipment in the operation
The operation which was supervised by the leadership of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners is in fulfilment of their quest to arrest all illegal miners polluting water bodies and get rid of them to protect the small-scale mining sector which has come under serious pressure in recent due to the galamsey menace.
When the task force got to a site at Moaso, more than 40 young men were seen at the site mining right in the middle of the Birim River with the chamfan’s day and night.
The task force initially had difficulties accessing the machines to disable them but soon gained access when their trained divers and river wardens arrived.
The Akim Oda District Chairman of the association Mohammad Amao who spoke to Citi News indicated that the association will not on its efforts to get rid of all illegal miners to protect their jobs.
The Eastern Regional Treasurer of the Association Thomas Larbi who expressed satisfaction about the operations called for government support and also urged the general public and community leaders to furnish the association with names and locations of persons mining in water bodies for immediate and prompt arrest.
