Twenty-four suspected illegal miners have been arrested following a dawn operation by Rapid Response Teams (RRT) at the Atewa Range Forest in the Eastern Region on Monday, April 28.

According to an operational update shared with officials, the coordinated raid began at about 3:30 am at Sagyimase, a community near the forest reserve, as authorities moved in to flush out persons engaged in illegal mining, widely known as galamsey.

“Thirty RRT men drawn from six teams across the country took part in a dawn swoop at the Atewa Range Forest to flush out illegal miners,” the report said.

The statement noted that although 24 suspects were arrested, several others escaped during the exercise.

Security personnel also destroyed equipment believed to have been used for illegal mining activities. Sixteen water pumping machines were burnt, while 52 makeshift poly-sheet tent structures were also set ablaze.

In addition, two water-pumping machines were seized and transported to the district office as exhibits for the investigation.

The suspects are currently being processed at the Kyebi District Office and are expected to be handed over to the Ghana Police Service for further action.

The Atewa Range Forest has remained one of Ghana’s most environmentally sensitive areas and has long been at the centre of debates over mining, conservation, and water security. Environmental groups have repeatedly warned that illegal mining in the area poses a serious threat to biodiversity and major water sources.

The latest operation forms part of ongoing national efforts to clamp down on illegal mining, which has continued to damage forests, rivers, and farmlands across several parts of the country despite repeated enforcement exercises.