There is confusion between the inter-ministerial task force against illegal mining and the Forestry Commission over illegal mining in the Kobro forest reserve in the Ashanti Region.

The Forestry Commission has led over about a dozen armed military police to the library forest to arrest workers and members of the task force assigned by government to reclaim the devastated forest.

They also destroyed temporary structures erected by CADMO Mining Company contracted to reclaim the devastated lands.

The confusion that erupted at the site exposed several powers of interest at play in the Kobro gold deposit enclave, Luv FM’s Erastus Asare Donkor reported Thursday.

Led by one Captain Dawda, the military police claim to have orders from the Forestry Commission boss and top officers to seize activities there. 

But the special inter-ministerial task force team leader, Francis Asibi told him the exercise has been sanctioned by the government

A large part of the Kobro forest reserve had been destroyed following activities of Heritage Mining Limited with permission from the Forestry Commission until it was stopped about a year ago by the inter-ministerial taskforce.

Following series of visits by the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Asomah Kyeremeh, the company's license was revoked

One Charles who led the military men claims the reclamation efforts by the inter-ministerial task force are not known to the Commission.

“Not even calls from the Jubilee House [Seat of Government] will convince the military police,” the reporter stated.

He added that at least nine members of the task force and some staff of CADMO Mining Company have been marched to the Jacobi police station also in the region.

The inter-ministerial taskforce is a special task force comprising police and military personnel formed in 2017 and tasked to clamp down on illegal small scale miners.

The 400 specially trained security task force made up of the Police and Military will on Tuesday begin applying force to remove illegal small scale miners from the Western, Ashanti and Eastern regions.

The deployment is part of President Nana Akufo-Addo's resolve to stamp out illegal mining activities that have destroyed critical water sources and ecosystem.

The anti-galamsey campaign is being led by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.