Galamsey operators now target the Upper West Region

Security personnel in the Upper West Region have arrested eight persons involved in the illegal small scale mining business, at Danyaw Kuraa in the Wa East District.

They were arrested by the Regional Security Committee (REGSEC) led by the Regional Minister, Dr. Ephraim Avea Nsor in an unannounced visit to the area.

Police say all the suspects, aged between 14 and 36 years, hail from neigbouring Burkina Faso.

The miners are said to have moved to that part of the country as a result of the determination of the Inter-ministerial Taskforce rid the country of illegal (Galamsey) miners.

The taskforce is said to have made significant inroads by flushing the illegal miners from the Western and Ashanti Regions.

Upper West Police Regional Commander, ACP Ampofo Duku told Joy News’ Rafiq Salaam, the suspects were using “very sophisticated chemicals” in their illegal operation.

“They were not using any machine but the technology they were using is very superior” to what their Ghanaian counterparts know.

ACP Duku said they were amazed upon realizing that the miners had virtually taken over the entire community.

They had “mounted sheds and had almost everything there, rearing fouls; we were quite dumbfounded,” the Commander revealed.

The Regional Minister Dr. Avea Nsor declared his determination not to allow the region to be used by those who have been flushed from "Obuasi and Tarkwa".

“…we are going to flush them out like water out of a fast flowing pipe,” he warned.