The Monitoring and Evaluation Team of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) has intercepted a team of members of the National Small Scale Taskforce Association who were involved in illegal mining activities within the general areas of Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.

The 11-member illegal mining team, who were dressed in military desert uniforms with combat gears, was led by one Mr. Adoh Briss.

The illegal miners were intercepted on Wednesday during a routine monitoring and evaluation duties.

The IMCIM intercepted the team in communities such as Supuma, Supuma Forest Reserve and Kubi, while they were illegally mining.

The illegal miners were using three vehicles – a Toyota Hilux, a Nissan Patrol and a Nissan Hard Body.

Other items that were found on them were six pump action guns and their luggage.

IMCIM Monitoring and Evaluation Team, which was led by Staff Sergeant Francis Assibi Abu, therefore ordered Mr. Adoh Briss and his team to seize their operations and report to the Ashanti Regional Headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service in Kumasi.

Within the forest area, the IMCIM chanced on local indigenes who were involved in manual minimal local mining.

Two excavators were also seen involved in reclamation of altered mined lands.