Six Chinese nationals have been arrested for mining illegally in the farming enclave of Pokukrom in the Ashanti region as government moves in to protect key natural resources from illegal mining.

According to residents of Pokukrom, the only hygienic source of water in the community has been polluted by the activities of illegal mining.

Aside the pollution of water bodies, large tracks of farmlands growing cocoa and other crops have been destroyed to serve illegal mining interest.

During the arrest, the sustainable land and water management taskforce seized four excavators used in destroying large tracts of farmlands and water bodies in the area.

A member of the taskforce, Twum Agyakum said, the team seeks to protect natural resources and protect those in legitimate mining.

“We are here to stop individuals parading our security personnel to rob legitimate miners of their produce.

 We are also here to stop the destruction of rivers and illegal miners in the forest by Chinese nationals supported by Ghanaians,” he added.

Government since its assumption of office in 2017 instituted a taskforce to combat the illegal small scale mining dubbed Operation Vanguard.

This team has been committed to clamping down on the activities of the miners, which has left to the arrest of many including foreign nationals engaged in the practice.

Meanwhile, these Chinese nationals arrested in the latest swoop have since been transferred to the Kumasi central police for procession.