The suspects
The Chief of Ablebo and a National Security Operative are currently in the grips of the Police at Axim in the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Municipality of the Western Region for allegedly contracting nine Ghanaians and a Chinese to embark on illegal mining activities.
The two gang leaders (suspects) are the Chief of Ablebo, Nana Mensah, and one Ramsey, who is alleged to be a National Security Officer, as gathered are embarking on the activities on the Okoben Mining Company Limited gold concession at Dominase.
They reportedly employed the ten suspected ‘galamseyers’ including a Chinese national to embark on the illegal mining.
These suspects were picked up by the joint team of police, National Investigations Bureau (NIB), and National Security personnel at Axim on Wednesday for invading the gold mining concession of the Ghanaian-owned mining company.
The recruited suspects who are Ghanaians have been named as; Paul Aboagye, Asamoah Gyan, John Yembiri, Richard Sackey, Boris Laari, Kofi Bakaro, Boti Kofana Kwame Owusu, and the Chinese national, Wei Yunzhao.
Upon their arrest on the Okoben Mining Company Limited’s gold concession at Dominase, the suspects mentioned the Chief of Ablebo, Nana Mensah, one Ramsey, a national security officer, and one Kumah of Kedadwen, as those who brought them to the site.
Surprisingly, two of the Ghanaian suspected illegal miners told the Axim Police that they were National Security operatives.
These unlicensed miners used heavy-mining equipment to engage in large-scale illegal mining activities on the concession of Okoben Mining on the blind side of the state mining regulatory institutions in Ghana, including the Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Meanwhile, the suspects are currently in the custody of the Axim Divisional Police Command assisting investigations.
-BY Daniel Bampoe