The military and the Ghana Police Service are to begin a one-week joint exercise from Friday to flush out illegal miners operating on the concession of the Goldfields Ghana Limited at Demang in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality. Lt Alfred Martey, the Public Relations Officer of the Two Garrison, told journalists at a media briefing on Thursday that the operation, which is codenamed “Operation flush out”, is predominantly a police exercise and the military is participating to protect the police. Lt Martey said illegal miners had taken over the concession and had ignored appeals by the company to leave and added that illegal mining is a threat to the environment and the lives of those engaged in it.