Two Chinese nationals have reportedly been arrested for illegally mining on the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) Seed Garden at Wassa Saman in the Western Region.
COCOBOD disclosed this in a statement copied to BUSINESS GUIDE.
The suspects were led to the COCOBOD land by a Ghanaian, who owns a mining firm called Wonder Mining Company Limited.
“Illegal miners have been looking for available space to operate and eventually settled on a fallow COCOBOD seed garden at Wassa Saman in the Western South Cocoa Region.”
According to COCOBOD, the Chinese had started mining on two-three acres of the land with the help of the Ghanaian named Wonder.
It said a security guard named Gordon Acquah of the Seed Production Department of COCOBOD spotted two huge bulldozers and canopies on the land and drew the attention of the Intelligence Department of COCOBOD.
“After investigations, the culprits were arrested with the assistance of the Ghana Police on Saturday, 22nd October, 2016 at Wassa Saman. The culprits were granted bail the same day due to lack of communication,” COCOBOD said in the release.
It said shockingly the Chinese on the same day after the bail went back to mine on the said land and the attention of COCOBOD was drawn and they were re-arrested by the police on Sunday, 23rd October, 2016.
The suspects are currently in the custody of COCOBOD to assist in investigations while Wonder is currently on the run, COCOBOD said.
Farmers Selling Lands
Meanwhile, COCOBOD has indicated that illegal mining, otherwise known as Galamsey, has become prevalent in the Wassa Mampong District of the Western Region.
Owing to the development, most cocoa farmers have sold their cocoa farms to the illegal miners.
“Most of the cocoa lands have been taken over by ‘galamsey’ operators.”
By Melvin Tarlue