Four of the suspects
The Western North Regional Police Command has arrested five persons claiming to be operatives from the National Security.
The suspects, who were dressed in alleged National Security uniforms, were arrested for allegedly harassing some miners in the region and extorting money from them.
Their names were given as Amponsah Asare Wagan, 33; Nelson Agbodzah, 28; Awedagah Norbert, 27; Francis Brefo, 35 and Benjamin Boakye, 48 and a driver of a Toyota Hilux with registration number GX 1095- 19 .
Addressing journalists on Monday, the Western North Regional Police Commander, DCOP Dr. Francis Tsidi disclosed that the suspects were apprehended on April 2, 2026 about 6:00 p.m.
He said the police at Dadieso received information that some men dressed in alleged military uniforms and posing as National Security operatives were ransacking mining sites at Suiaboi, a small mining community in the Suaman District.
He said the suspects were demanding for documentation, seizing items belonging to the miners and extorting money from them.
According to DCOP Tsidi, during interrogation, Amponsah Asare Wagan claimed to be the son of a security capo in the country.
He said Nelson Agbodzah and Awedagah Norbert claimed they belonged to National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in the Ashanti Region.
He added that Francis Brefo also mentioned that he is a National Security operative in Ashanti Region.
The Regional Police Commander further revealed that, per the police investigation, on April 2, 2026, Amponsah Asare Wagan organised the three other suspects in Kumasi and planned to embark on the unauthorised mining operation in the Western North Region.
He noted that Wagan then hired the Toyota Hilux with registration number GX 1095-19 from Kumasi to Western North, and was driven by Benjamin Boakye.
“Wagan told the other three suspects that they were going to gather intelligence at Bibiani, but eventually ended up at Suaman Dadieso,” he noted.
DCOP Tsidi said on reaching Dadieso, the suspects continued to a mining site at Suiaboi in the Suaman District.
“At the site, the suspects caused unlawful damage to mining equipment, ransacked the miners’ rooms and stole their mobile phones and cash of about GH¢2,000 cedis.
“The police was informed and they quickly went to the site to arrest the suspects,” the Police Commander stated.
He said the items retrieved from the suspects included two car batteries, three water pumping machines, a starter, a hose and a round metal believed to be an excavator part.
The rest were five mobile phones, bunch of keys, one AA live cartridge as well as a pair of military camouflage trousers.
DCOP Tsidi explained that the police will only entertain genuine security operatives and National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) personnel, who have been assigned by government to fight illegal mining activities, adding, “Aside that, the police will not allow or entertain any group purported to be fighting illegal mining.”
“Individuals posing as security operatives who come and extort money from illegal miners in the name of fighting the menace should desist,” he warned.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi