A violent clash between illegal miners and law enforcement on Tuesday, August 13, 2025, at Bonteso in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region, resulted in four arrests — including a local assemblyman — and left two police officers injured.
The confrontation erupted when the Special Anti-Galamsey Task Force, on routine patrol, intercepted an excavator actively engaged in illegal mining.
As the team began loading the machine onto a truck, tensions quickly escalated. A group of illegal miners — allegedly incited by the Assembly Member for the area, Patrick Asare — mobilised to resist the operation.
The miners reportedly pelted officers with stones and other projectiles, vowing to stop the removal of the excavator and threatening violence.
According to police, two individuals in the crowd were seen firing pump-action shotguns to intimidate the task force. In the ensuing melee, ASP Bawah Abdul Jalil and G/Sgt. Agblekpe Mawuena Yao sustained head, mouth, and leg injuries.
The situation worsened when the miners blocked all exit routes to trap the officers at the scene. In an attempt to break through the blockade, the task force came under live fire and responded with what they described as “appropriate force” to neutralise the threat and secure their exit.
Despite the chaos, the officers arrested four suspects — Akwasi Amponsah, Osei Vasco, Patrick Asare, and Alexander Owusu. One excavator was impounded and taken to the Manso Adubia Police Station.
However, a second piece of equipment was left behind due to the intensifying threat.
All four suspects remain in custody and will be transferred to Accra for further investigation and prosecution.
