8 Illegal Miners Apprehended in Atewa Forest Reserve
Forestry Commission and local volunteers join forces to combat illegal mining in the Eastern Region's protected areas.
- Arrests made in the Potroase section of the Atewa Forest Reserve
- Forestry Commission intensifies efforts to combat illegal mining, including destroying mining equipment
- Regional Director stresses continued action against illegal mining
Eight illegal miners have been apprehended for unlawful activities in the Potroase area of the Atewa Forest Reserve.
The successful arrests resulted from a coordinated effort between the Forestry Commission’s Kyebi guards and a volunteer youth group from Potroase, Eastern Region.
This operation follows a recent crackdown by the Rapid Response Unit of the Forestry Commission, who destroyed four excavators linked to a small-scale miner. Isaac Noble Eshun, the Eastern Regional Director of the Forestry Commission, confirmed that the miners were caught in the act.
Despite a challenging encounter the day before, where hired individuals obstructed officers from making an arrest, the combined forces managed to secure the suspects without police assistance.
Eshun reiterated the Commission’s unwavering commitment to fighting illegal mining, which has been spreading across forest reserves, especially in the Ashanti, Western, and Eastern regions.
“We will continue our efforts in collaboration with stakeholders to stop this environmental menace,” he said.
