Some residents and chiefs in the Upper Denkyira East municipality are assisting foreign nationals to illegally mine gold in the area despite a clampdown on the activity by the Presidential taskforce against illegal miners. The residents are said to be harboring the foreign nationals, most of whom are Chinese, in their homes and work with them under heavy armed guards at night. Joy News has learnt the Minerals Commission is unhappy about the development because it is impeding efforts to end illegal mining in the area. Joy News’ Richard Kojo Nyarko reports that the Minerals Commission is finding it difficult to curb the practice in the municipality because they have relaxed their operations following an intense clampdown on the practice previously. Wilson Wornam Zugah, the Minerals Commission boss in the municipality has appealed to the chiefs in the area to stop assisting the illegal Chinese miners. According to Mr Zugah, the illegal mining activities is destroying the water bodies in the area and has called for efforts to totally stamp it out.