A man, identified as Kojo Owusu, has revealed how most wanted criminals use galamsey pits as a hideout haven from the police.
As someone who has spent months inside a galamsey pit to make ends meet, Opooman, as he was popularly known at Obuasi, said the pits do not serve as homes for only galamseyers but also criminals on police wanted lists.
“Being in a galamsey pit wasn’t a pleasant experience at all. Can you believe I was there for more than two months, digging for gold and it felt like just days?
According to him, criminals who used the pits as their hideouts stayed there till the cases for which they are wanted die out, adding it does not surprise him when police manhunt for criminals prove futile.
“There were even times that we had criminals on police wanted list who come there just to hide themselves there till they no longer look for them.
“Some of the galamseyers spend more than three months there just to make ends meet” he said while sharing his experience as a former galamseyer on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem social discussion segment, Y’asem Nie.
He added that even though life inside the galamsey pits was life threatening sometimes, life had to go.