Two galamsey operators have been confirmed dead after seven illegal miners dived into the Pra river to escape arrest. Tensions are reportedly high in the area after news of the drowning reached the town. This comes in the wake of a series crackdown on galamsey operation across the country. President John Mahama set up a high-powered inter-ministerial taskforce to deal with the galamsey menace in the country. The taskforce which is led by the Lands and Mines Minister Alhaji Inusah Fuseini has deported a total of about 3,800 foreigners engaged in unlawful small scale mining, since it began work on June 1. Some 1,568 foreigners mainly from Asia region and 51 Ghanaians have also been arrested. The latest attempt in checking the menace occurred on Sunday, after a Police operation in Twifo Praso in the Central Region to flush out galamsey operators in the area. An account revealed that the suspected illegal miners upon seeing the security team, took to their heels and dived into the Pra river to escape arrest. Two have been confirmed dead. The whereabouts of the other five remain unknown.