About 66 illegal miners have been apprehended in a joint military and police operation at the Tilli Forest in the Upper East Region.

The operation, conducted on Tuesday, 4th March 2024, was a crackdown aimed at halting illegal mining activities in the forest. Among the suspects were two individuals from Burkina Faso, 26 from Togo, and 38 Ghanaians.

The Tilli Forest is one of the largest forest reserves in the Upper East Region, where some illegal miners are carrying out illicit mining activities, thereby causing significant harm to the forest ecosystem.

The forest is also home to wildlife species such as elephants and other organisms that rely on the forest ecosystem for their survival.

Speaking to the Upper East Regional Minister, Akamugri Donatus Atanga, after the arrests, he stated that the operation was initiated at the request of the Paramount Chief of Sakote, who had called on him to help address the situation in the area.