The Forestry Commission with support from its taskforce and the military has arrested five galamsey operators in the Bosomtwe Range Forest Reserve in the Bekwai Forest District of the Ashanti Region.
The suspects were arraigned before the Bekwai Circuit but a couple of them have been granted bail at the moment.
Despite the ban on illegal mining in the country in forest reserves and on water bodies, these illegal miners or galamsey operators defied President Nana Akufo-Addo’s orders and took hold of the Bsomtwe Range Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region.
Sources say after storming most of the mining communities within the Bekwai Forest District, the task force established that there are illegal mining activities that have caused total destruction to the environment and also posing threat to the forest reserve.
Hundreds of galamsey operators have invaded the Bosomtwe Range Forest Reserve in a way that left the Forestry Commission officials bemused.
Five galamsey operators were subsequently arrested in a operation that involved officials from the Commission, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ghana Armed Forces.
The operation was to know the extent of destruction caused by the illegal miners.
The visit also followed reports that illegal mining was in full force in that forest reserve.
When the team got into the Reserve, it came to light that several hectares of the forest cover had been destroyed by the galamsey operators, who had abandoned their equipment and run for cover.
They have created four illegal mining sites about the size of sports stadium in the reserve.
Excavators, changfan machines, fuel storage tanks and other equipment were seen at the site and some were burnt.
They had felled hundreds of economic trees and dug deep pits in their illegal search for gold.
River bodies in the reserve appear to be polluted by the illegal ministers.
A Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu Bio, who was outraged at the extent of the devastation caused by the illegal miners, led in the burning of some of their machines.
In an interview with the media on the issue in the reserve, the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources pointed out that galamsey operators have recently been drawn to the reserve and it is a source of worry to them.
He called on the judiciary to expedite action on those arrested and prosecute them.
“Some of them have been arrested and being processed to court in Bekwai. A couple of them have been granted bail. In fact, we are praying with the court to expedite action on the case, so they can be prosecuted and jail them,” he said.
According to them, this is the third time that he has visited Bosomtwe Range Forest Reserve and described the place as an endemic galamsey area.
“But then what we keeping saying is that the forest reserves and water bodies are no-go areas. They are red zones. So anyone found doing this we will follow it to the letter to get them secured.
“We are here today and we will be going to other forest reserves to monitor what is happening there. We thank the taskforce here,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey, said they are now collecting data on the forest reserves destroyed by the illegal miners.
He described the galamsey activities in the forest reserves as very devastating to the environment.
“The last decade, our focus was on illegal chainsaw operators and the bush fire prevention and others.
“But, at the moment, we have to deal with galamsey menace. It’s becoming dangerous and bigger due to the impact,” he stated.
By Benjamin Aidoo|TV3|3news.com|Ghana