Chairman of the Small Scale Miners Association, Kojo Peprah, has been arrested by the IGP’s Special Anti-Galamsey team for trying to intervene in the arrest of illegal miners operating in the Desiri Forest Reserve in the Ashanti region.

According to the police, Kojo Peprah confronted the special team sent to flush out illegal miners in the Desiri Forest Reserve, demanding that they explain their mission in the forest.

Upon his arrest, he explained that he had received information that the task force had invaded his mining site in the forest.

The police stated that by law, small-scale licenses are not given to small-scale miners to mine in a forest reserve, raising questions about the intentions of the small-scale miners in the forest reserve.

The Desiri Forest Reserve has been described as the only red spot in about 44 forests invaded by illegal miners in the latest forestry commission data.

Kojo Peprah has since been handed over to the Nkawie police to assist in investigations.