A task force against illegal mining at Wenchi in the Bono Region has arrested six persons who were reportedly mining in the river Tain.

The task force was set up by the Paramount Chief of the Wenchi Traditional Area, Osagyefo Ampem Anye Amoampong Tabrako III, to flush out people engaged in illegal mining upstream of river Tain, where the €30 million Wenchi water project is earmarked.

In an interaction with journalists at Wenchi, Osagyefo Tabrako explained that the miners were busily perpetuating the illegality in the river when the task force embarked on the clampdown.

According to him, three of the illegal miners were arrested in December 2023, whilst the other three were also arrested on Sunday, January 28, 2024.

The Paramount chief noted that the six alleged illegal miners, after their arrest, have been handed over to the Wenchi police for onward processing.

Osagyefo Tabrako stated that during the first operation, the task force seized some mining equipment and a motorbike.

"You know Wenchi, our water system is poor,  and that is why the Government of Ghana have secured the €30 million credit facility from Belgium to construct the Wenchi Water Project, sourced from River Tain.

The Wenchi Traditional Council will not tolerate any illegal mining activity, whether in river Tain or any other location on our land,” Osagyefo Tabrako warned.

He said the Wenchi Traditional Council’s anti-illegal mining taskforce is well equipped to root out illegal mining and its related activities from the area.