The Media Coalition against illegal mining has expressed regret about the loss of lives and destruction of equipment in an attempt to end illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.

However, the coalition argues that galamsey related deaths and destruction to the environment has been enormous prior to the dispatch of the anti-galamsey task force known as Operation Vanguard.

Convener of the Steering Committee of the coalition, Mr Kenneth Ashigbey observed that “We had the unfortunate incident of one death in the Obuasi area and we also had, for me, an unfortunate incident of the burning of the excavators.”

Two galamseyers are dead and several mining equipment destroyed following the deployment of the task force made up of 400 soldiers and police officers.

Mr Ashigbey, who is also the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), told Moro Awudu on Class FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Monday, August 14 that, “A lot of people have been arrested and taken to court for prosecution after tougher measures by the task force to clamp down on the illegal mining activities.”