It has emerged that additional illegal mining settlements, popularly known as galamsey sites, are still operating in the Western Region.
The Western Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission, Nana Kwabena Bosompim, made the disclosure on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem.
According to Nana Bosompim, intelligence gathered by the Commission has identified the areas as Jerusalem and Wasa Nkran. He noted that although his team is yet to visit the sites, they are sending a strong warning to the illegal settlers to vacate before enforcement action is taken.
“We will deal with them ruthlessly. We are going to sustain this operation, fight illegal mining, human trafficking and all the criminalities associated with it,” he declared.
He further explained that past operations proved largely ineffective as the miners managed to regroup each time, but stressed that this time, the approach would be different.
This revelation comes on the back of a joint military operation and demolition exercise at Abrewa Ne Nkran in the Subri Forest Reserve, where over 10,000 people had settled despite the absence of basic social amenities.
Touching on the whereabouts of the gang leaders, Nana Bosompim disclosed that they fled the area before the task force arrived.
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