A team of 140 persons, drawn from the military and Ghana Police Service, have been deployed to flush out illegal miners in Obuasi and surrounding mining towns.

This was disclosed by Ashanti regional police commander DCOP Ken Yeboah during an interaction with the media. He indicated that the move was aimed at supporting government to end the galamsey menace destroying the environment.

Meanwhile, over 544 earth-moving equipment have been voluntarily withdrawn from various illegal small-scale mining sites across the country, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, has revealed.

He told Chief Jerry Forson on Accra 100.5FM’s breakfast show on Wednesday 19 April that the heavy equipment are, however, yet to be handed over to the Ministry.

“We have had some reports that are quite encouraging, about voluntary withdrawal of some of the earth-moving equipment at the sites,” he said.

Mr Amewu, whose 21-day ultimatum to the galamseyers to pack out has elapsed, said: “I expect that at the end of today, there will be a total withdrawal.

“What will follow,” he said, “is that…of course some element of force will need to be applied.”