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Two suspected illegal miners have been arrested at Tweapease, a farming community in the Tano South Municipality of the Ahafo Region, as authorities intensify efforts to clamp down on illegal mining activities.
The suspects were apprehended at an illegal mining site after some concerned youth from Techimantia assisted the police in the operation.
The Tano South Municipal Chief Executive, Emmanuel Kwame Frimpong, confirmed the arrests to journalists, saying the suspects had been detained by the police.
He said their names were being withheld for security reasons.
Mr Frimpong said the Municipal Security Committee had stepped up measures to combat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, in the municipality.
“We have upscale measures to fight against illegal mining or galamsey in the Tano South Municipality,” he said.
He appealed to residents to support the security agencies by providing timely information on illegal mining activities in their communities.
“We will not succumb to the fight against galamsey activities which threaten our water bodies,” the MCE stressed.
Mr Frimpong cautioned the youth against engaging in illegal mining, citing its impact on agricultural lands, food production and water resources.
He said large tracts of farmland and food crops in the municipality had been destroyed, while streams and other water bodies had been polluted as a result of illegal mining.
The MCE commended the security personnel and community members involved in the operation for their commitment to tackling illegal mining.
He said the Municipal Security Committee would continue working with residents and other stakeholders to protect the municipality’s farmlands and water bodies from the effects of illegal mining.
