Over 40 illegal miners operating with chanfans on the Birim River narrowly escaped arrest after swimming in the heavily silted river and crossing into the bushes.
The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners taskforce, with support from the Ghana Police Service in Anyinam, set ablaze 20 chanfans polluting the Birim River at Moaso and its surrounding communities in the Atewa West District of the Eastern Region this morning.
The taskforce arrested one Togolese national and confiscated four pumping machines, a newly acquired chanfan which was due to be deployed into the Birim River, and other mining equipment during the operation.
The operation, supervised by the leadership of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners, is in fulfillment of their quest to arrest all illegal miners polluting water bodies and eliminate them to protect the small-scale mining sector, which has come under serious pressure recently due to the galamsey menace.
When the taskforce arrived at a site in Moaso, more than 40 young men were seen mining right in the middle of the Birim River with the chanfans day and night.
The taskforce initially had difficulties accessing the machines to disable them but soon gained access when their trained divers and river wardens arrived.
The Akim Oda District Chairman of the association, Mohammad Amao, who spoke to Citi News, indicated that the association will not relent in its efforts to get rid of all illegal miners to protect their jobs.
The Eastern Regional Treasurer of the Association, Thomas Larbi, expressed satisfaction with the operations, called for government support, and urged the general public and community leaders to provide the association with names and locations of persons mining in water bodies for immediate and prompt arrest.
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