The Takoradi Harbour Circuit Court has remanded 13 suspected illegal miners into prison custody for two weeks following their arrest during an ongoing anti-galamsey operation in the Cape Three Points Forest Reserve in the Western Region.

The suspects are among 20 people arrested within the first five days of a 28-day joint operation being undertaken by the Takoradi Forest Services Division and the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, with support from the Rapid Response Team and the Youth in Forestry Corps.

Seven additional suspects were arrested on Friday, bringing the total number of arrests so far to 20. They are expected to be processed in accordance with the law.

The operation, which began on July 26, is aimed at reclaiming the Cape Three Points Forest Reserve from illegal miners who have invaded sections of the protected ecosystem.

Operational reports available to JoyNews Western Regional correspondent Ina-Thalia Quansah indicate that the patrol teams have swept through several parts of the reserve, including areas around Tumentu and Princes Town, uncovering numerous illegal mining sites hidden deep within the forest.

In the first four days of the operation, officers decommissioned and destroyed 78 Changfa machines, 106 water pumping machines together with water hoses, and 19 rubber tents used as makeshift shelters by the illegal miners.

The exercise has also highlighted the dangers confronting enforcement officers. During a night operation on Thursday, six suspects were arrested, but personnel were unable to retrieve and destroy mining equipment because of the risk posed by abandoned mining pits in the area.

The Western Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission, Nana Bosompim, expressed confidence that the sustained 28-day operation would significantly curb illegal mining activities within the reserve and help restore the integrity of one of Ghana’s most ecologically important forests.

The Cape Three Points Forest Reserve is one of Ghana’s most significant coastal forest ecosystems, providing habitat for diverse wildlife and playing a vital role in biodiversity conservation and environmental protection.

However, increasing illegal mining activities have raised concerns over forest degradation and the destruction of water bodies within the reserve.

The latest operation forms part of broader efforts by the Forestry Commission and its security partners to reclaim protected forests from illegal mining and safeguard Ghana’s natural resources.

Authorities say the operation will continue over the coming weeks as they intensify efforts to flush out illegal miners and prevent further destruction of the forest reserve.