Leader of the Operation Vanguard anti-galamsey taskforce, Colonel William Agyapong has disclosed that hundreds of illegal miners and thousands of equipment has been seized in three regions alone.

“We have been able to effect as many as 699 arrests in Eastern region, Ashanti region and Western region,” Col Agyapong noted on Thursday, December 14.

He said the arrested persons have been processed and are at various stages of being taken to court with only “64 persons prosecuted so far. It is going well but the wheel of justice grinds so slowly so it is taking time to get things to the end”.

In addition, the Vanguards have been able to immobilise over 3000 machines used on water bodies for galamsey activities. The team has also seized over 69 excavators.

Mr Agyapong, who was speaking in an interview with Kumasi based Luv FM, lauded some of the small scale miners whom he said voluntarily moved “not less than 900 excavators from the various mining sites to the urban areas”.

Meanwhile, Col Agyapong has refuted claims that the Vanguards are taking bribes from some local and foreign nationals involved in illegalsmall scale mining activities.