The Excavator Evacuation Team, a unit under the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining on Thursday, December 6, busted 16 Chinese illegal miners.
This operation was carried out in the Krobo Forest.
The 16 arrested Chinese have since been handed over to the Obuasi Police. Some Ghanaian accomplices were also captured in the raid.
Items retrieved were 14 pump-action guns, one M16 gun, about 200 cartridges, five cutlasses, about 30 excavators, two Caterpillars and a sum of GHc 45,000.
It wasn’t lost on the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, Professor Frimpong Boateng, that this was latest in a cycle of arrests.
He said Ghana had a great relationship with China regardless of consistent reports of Chinese illegal miners being arrested in Ghana
“It’s a pity that a few Chinese will more or less disrupt the good relationship between the two countries,” Professor Frimpong Boateng remarked.
He also criticised Ghanaians that collaborate with some of these illegal miners following reports that suspect illegal mining kingpin, Aisha Huang was again engaged in illegal mining activities following her arrest and arraignment.
“Aisha can only work if there Ghanaians helping her so we are appealing to those behind to really respect what the President has said and make sure that we are able to get over this hindrance,” he said.
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By: Kojo Agyeman|citinewsroom.com | Ghana
