Galamsey: Operation Halt II arrests 26 illegal miners at Patase - Adomonline.com

The Operation Halt II team has on Monday arrested 26 suspects, found operating at an illegal mining site, popularly known as galamsey, and also engaging in other poor environmental practices, at Patase, Wassa Dunkwa, in the Wassa Amenfi East District of the Western Region.

The suspects, including four Togolese, were found engaging in illegal mining, sand winning and lumbering, in defiance of government’s ban placed on these activities that continued to wreak havoc on the environment and water bodies,including River Tano.

The Ghana Armed Forces deployed soldiers of all ranks to begin the second phase of ‘Operation Halt’ to rid the country’s water bodies of illegal miners.

It is aimed at removing all logistics and persons involved in illegal mining on water bodies.

The operation led by General Officer Commanding, Southern Command, Brigadier General Michael KwakuAmoahAyisiand theSecond-in- Command, Operation Halt 11, Lieutenant Colonel Harrison Dadzie, revealed an expanse area devasted by illegal mining atWassaDunkwa.

Additionally, trees in the rich, green and virgin forest had been felled to pave way for illegal gold mining, posing danger to farmers.

He condemned the uncontrolled sand winning at illegal mining sites the galamsey site, where deep holes had been dug to aggravate the situation, and, asked whether they would drink the very water they destroyed.