Three hundred and eleven (311) illegal miners have been arrested by the Operation Vanguard (OV) task force since the unit was tasked to clamp down on activities of galamseyers across the nation.

This was disclosed by the Commander of the Operation Vanguard, Col Williams Agyapong, after members of the task force paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

Col Agyapong revealed that 71 galamseyers have been arrested in the Ashanti Region alone.

He added that six female miners who were arrested at Akrokeri in the Obuasi Municipal of the Ashanti Region have been convicted and fined.

Meanwhile, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has charged the anti-galamsey task-force to be firm and incorruptible in the discharge of its duties.

“For your operations, we will continue to support you to deliver. It is left for us the leaders and government to come together and look at measures that can be adopted to completely halt these activities going forward.

“Just like Baffour said, we believe you can do it, but the illegal miners might hide and come back in your absence. You need to be very vigilant in your work. Don’t not allow yourselves to be influenced as you carry on with your work.”