illegal miner arrested in Atewa Forest
The Forestry Commission has undertaken a joint enforcement operation in the Atewa Forest Reserve within the Atiwa Forest District in Kyebi, following renewed concerns over increasing illegal mining (galamsey) activities in the area.
The operation, conducted on April 1, 2026, involved eight rapid response teams alongside staff of the Kyebi Forest District. It targeted illegal mining sites within the Atewa Range Forest Reserve.
As part of the exercise, officials destroyed ten pumping machines and dismantled and burned approximately thirty makeshift structures believed to have been used by illegal miners.
One suspect, identified as 20-year-old Kojo Davan from Sawla, was arrested during the operation. He is currently in custody pending further investigation and possible prosecution.
The operation forms part of a broader response to calls by stakeholders, including A Rocha Ghana and the Coalition Against Galamsey Ghana, for intensified efforts to address illegal mining encroachment in the Atewa Forest.
Ayekoo Forestry Commission, this is good news.