Operation Vanguard, a joint military-police taskforce fighting illegal mining on Wednesday arrested two Chinese and their two local accomplices suspected of mining illegally in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region.

The two Chinese nationals, Wan Zhi Dong, 49 and Shi Zhi Hai, 51, have been handed over to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining together with two excavators following their arrests.

This was contained in a statement issued to the Ghana News Agency by Captain Andy Sowatey, Public Relations Officer of Operation Vanguard.

The statement said the two locals, Imoro Yankey, 42 and Kwadwo Apau, 41, are currently in police custody at the Afosu Police Station pending further investigations.

"With the lifting of the ban on small scale mining, some unlicensed miners have resorted to hiding behind the concessions of some licensed small scale miners in other to evade Vanguard patrols.

"Operation Vanguard is, however, putting measures in place to flush them out", it said.

The statement said five locals suspected of illegal mining were apprehended in the Prestea Huni Valley District in the Western Region and have been handed over to the Prestea District Police for further investigations to be conducted into their activities.

It said six other locals were arrested in the Wassa Akropong District in the Central Region and have been handed over to the District Police for further action.