A joint security operation has led to the arrest of 15 suspected illegal miners operating near the Sanso Methodist Primary and Junior High School in Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.
The operation, carried out following a whistleblower report, involved personnel from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), National Security, the 4th Infantry Battalion (4BN) of the Ghana Armed Forces, and the Obuasi Police.
Ashanti Regional Minister Dr Frank Amoakohene disclosed the development in a Facebook post on Sunday, August 2.
According to him, the security team arrested the suspects while they were allegedly engaged in illegal mining activities close to the school.
He said three excavators were confiscated, while other mining equipment found at the site was destroyed during the operation.
“Following a whistleblower report, a team comprising NAIMOS, National Security, 4 BN and Obuasi Police arrested 15 suspected illegal miners mining close to the Sanso Methodist Primary and JHS. Three excavators were confiscated and others destroyed,” Dr Amoakohene wrote.
The operation forms part of ongoing efforts by the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council and security agencies to clamp down on illegal mining activities, particularly those posing a threat to communities, schools and the environment.
