The Bono Regional Security Taskforce has arrested two suspected notorious illegal miners at Wamfie in the Dormaa East District of the region.
Kofi Damoah, 36, popularly known as ‘Allah’ and his accomplice, Stephen Ansu, were arrested at an illegal mining site during a swoop, led by Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister.
Mr Damoah is said to have haboured and sponsored several illegal miners to undertake the ‘galamsey’ activities at various sites at Nkrankwanta, Wamfie and Dormaa-Ahenkro in the region.
The taskforce retrieved from him two locally made guns, several cartridges, pumping machines and other small-scale mining tools and equipment.
Madam Owusu-Banahene told newsmen the special taskforce was set up to control illegal mining and logging in the region as part of the government’s efforts to control the menace in the country.
The Regional Minister noted the devastating effects of illegal mining and logging were enormous and called on traditional authorities, assembly members, and everybody to support the nationwide fight against the practice.
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“We cannot allow these miscreants in society to continue to destroy our river bodies and deplete our forest resources with their unscrupulous activities.
“This is why the government has decentralised the fight against galamsey, illegal logging, and lumbering going on in our forest reserves, and we require support from everybody to bring the situation to the barest minimum,” she said.
She added that the Green Ghana project introduced by the government to encourage people to plant, water, and nurture trees would be in vain, if activities of illegal chainsaw operators were not brought under control, and called on the media to help intensify the campaign against environmental degradation