Authorities in the Aowin municipality of the Western North region have impounded 33 excavators linked to illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey, across various locations within the municipality.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Aowin, Stephen Morcher, explained that the seizures are part of intensified operations aimed at tackling illegal mining, particularly in protected forest reserves and water bodies.
The initiative aligns with the President’s directive to all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to take decisive action against environmental destruction caused by illegal mining.
Investigations revealed that most of the mining operations were carried out at night in remote forest areas and rivers. Through coordinated intelligence efforts and deployment of a joint military-police task force, the 33 excavators were intercepted at different sites within the municipality.
The operations were supported by technical experts, including electricians, to disable the machines when keys were not available.
The MCE noted that the excavators are currently being held under tight security at his official residence, where they have been numbered and placed under 24-hour CCTV surveillance.
“No equipment will be released until clear directives are received from the appropriate government authorities,” he noted.
In a separate operation at the Aboi Forest Reserve, ten individuals—six of them foreign nationals from Burkina Faso and Guinea, and four Ghanaians—were arrested for engaging in illegal mining. All ten have since been prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to various prison terms.
Reports on the seized equipment and related arrests have been submitted to key state agencies, including the Office of the President, National Security, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, and COP (Rtd.) Kofi Boakye.
The MCE also reported that some individuals have made attempts to fraudulently retrieve the machines by impersonating National Security operatives. These attempts have been foiled, and the culprits handed over to the authorities for further action.
He reiterated the adverse impact of illegal mining on the municipality’s water bodies and forests and emphasised that henceforth, only individuals or companies with proper documentation and licenses from the Minerals Commission would be permitted to engage in any form of mining in Aowin.
OnuaOnline can confirm, following a site visit, by our Western North Regional Correspondent, that all 33 excavators remain intact and secured at the MCE’s residence near the Aowin Municipal Assembly, and will monitor developments on this matter closely for updates.
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