A group of eleven Chinese illegal miners have been arrested in Ellembelle, following a swoop by the military taskforce of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Secretariat (NAIMOS).

The exercise which started on Thursday, June 19, saw the continuation of robust operations in the Western Region which have so far led to significant crackdowns in Jomoro and Evalue Dwira districts of the Region.

On arrival, the task force uncovered a gang of Chinese miners at a town called Akropong in the Ellembele district who had been mining along the Ankobra River.

Eleven of them were subsequently arrested after which the task force seized several logistics and equipment including excavators, Changfans and vehicles used by the Chinese nationals.

Other stores, equipment and makeshift structures which could not be recovered were destroyed and burnt by the task force.

The 11 Chinese galamseyers have since been conveyed to Accra and handed over to Senior Inspector Jyampah at the operations department of the Ghana Immigration Service.

The offenders were handed over by the NAIMOS Director of Operations on Friday, 20 June at about 07:20 hours for further action.

Meanwhile, the NAIMOS task force remains relentless and focused on its operations to clam down illegal mining especially in the country’s water bodies and forest reserves.

Sector Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has also reiterated his resolve to combat the menace and make galamsey a thing of the past.