Obuasi, Nov. 9, GNA- Four persons, including a 19-year-old Junior High School student (JHS) have been arrested during their illegal operations at 2,100 feet deep the Adansi Shaft mine of AngloGold Ashanti, (AGA) They are Kwaku Boateng, the JHS student, Kwaku Akalinya, 20, Sumaila Salifu, 19 and Kwaku Appiagyei, 27. Among the items found on them included a hammer, chisel and deadly explosives.

Kwaku Appiagyei who acted as spokesman told the press that they went to that level early in the morning to prospect for gold when they were arrested while surfacing from underground. He said they used an obscure route at Anwiam, a farming community near Obuasi.

Mr. Bashir A. Ahmed, the north mine manager of the company said the suspects would be handed over to the police. He said for sometime now the illegal miners had been harassing the company with their illegal activities to the extent that they were competing with the mineworkers underground. Mr. Ahmed called for support from the public, including the security agencies to help clamp down on the illegal miners.

The Public Relations officer of the mine, John Sarpong Boateng said the mine was strategizing on how to get collective public support in addressing the galamsey problem facing the mine.