The Sefwi Wiawso Police on Wednesday arrested 11 Chinese nationals for engaging in illegal small-scale mining at Amponteng and Alavanyo in the Sefwi-Wiawso Municipality of the Western Region.

They are Li Keyng, 45, Wen Shen Vwen, 44, Li Yivao, 29, Li Suelin, 45 and Jo Lideng, 33, the only female among them.

The rest are Weng Hong, 43, Ho Kang, 41, Ziang Zhen Hoka, 45, Muo Zhiang Heng, 27, Lo Komeng, 40 and Li Fu Yong, 38.

The Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, told the Ghana News Agency in Sekondi that they had been handed over to the National Security taskforce on illegal mining.

She said the police retrieved an amount of GHc4, 780, 70 US dollars and 3,010 yen, as well as, 10 mobile phones, a pump action gun, single barreled gun; pistol and eight live ammunitions from them.

The Western Region Police Command had been collaborating with the Inter ministerial Security Taskforce set up by the President to flush out both locals and foreigners involved in illegal small-scale mining popularly called galamsey.