A total of 30 persons have been arrested for engaging in illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, in the Bonsa River Forest, in the Aboso North Range of the Western Re­gion, in two separate swoops.

Of the number, 19 of them were arrested on Friday, while the others, made up of 10 males and a female, were grabbed on June 12, 2024.

The Rapid Response Team and the Staff of the Forest Services Di­vision of the Forestry Commission (FC) apprehended the suspects as part of a clamp down on galamsey.

The Manager of Corporate Affairs and Media Relations at the Forestry Commission (FC), Joyce Ofori Kwafo, who disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times, said the suspects have been handed over to the Takwa Police Command for further investigation and prosecu­tion.

She said the 11 others had been remanded in prison custody and dockets on the case sent to the Attorney General’s Department for advice.

Ms Kwafo stated that the illegal miners operated 24 hours at the reserve, which was evidenced by the discovery of tents, food, bags of sachet water, water-pumping machines, shovels, and other hand­held tools, at the site.

She said currently, 21 illegal mining cas­es were pending in court in the region, involving more than 111 suspects, who were arrested by officials of the FC.

“The cases were at various stag­es of prosecution at the Sekondi High Court 2 and Takoradi Circuit Court,” Ms Kwafo said, and ap­pealed to the judiciary to expedite action on such cases.

In a related development, Forestry Service Division in the Bekwai District of the Ashanti Region, and members of the RRT have immobilised two excavators and one motorbike, belonging to illegal miners, operating in the Apamprama Forest Reserve, in the region.

Ms Kwafo cautioned the public to desist from illegal mining in for­est reserves, promising that the FC would not rest on their oars until galamseyers were flushed from the country’s reserves.