The suspects
Plans are underway by the Agona Swedru Divisional Police Command to arraign 10 illegal miners, who were arrested at Gomoa Oguaakrom in the Central Region over the weekend, before a Swedru Circuit Court on Tuesday.
The suspects, who are currently in police custody, are Kwesi Takyi, Kwesi Mensah, Moses Dauda, Isaac Mensah, Isaac Buabeng Stephen Arhin, Kweku Gyasi John Dompo, Kwesi Takyi, Yaw Kumi and Fatawu Ibrahim.
The Agona Swedru Divisional Commander, Supt Samuel Yankey, in an interview with DAILY GUIDE, said the 10, including a 15-year-old, are all natives of the area.
According to him, the police received information about the activities of the people and deployed armed police officers to the scene.
He noted that the ‘Operation Vanguard’ personnel, who stormed the site to ascertain the fact of the matter, gathered that the ‘galamseyers’ had been operating clandestinely for more than 15 years.
Personnel of Operation Vanguard seized over 100 bags containing substances suspected to be gold.
Supt Yankey disclosed that they also seized crushing and pumping machines during the operations, adding that they also burnt shields that they use to wash their products.
The police commander hinted that ‘Operation Vanguard’ would visit the ‘galamsey’ sites as part of efforts to effectively tackle the menace.
Email: annanjoseph970@gmail.com
From Joseph Annan, Cape Coast