Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has placed three soldiers attached to the Operation Vanguard team in the Western Region under arrest for extortion from illegal miners.

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has placed three soldiers attached to the Operation Vanguard team in the Western Region under arrest following reports of extortion from illegal miners.

“The Military High Command frowns upon such misconduct by troops, and, has, accordingly suspended the soldiers from their duties with Operation Vanguard and placed them under close arrest at the 2nd Battalion of Infantry in Takoradi. Detailed investigations are being conducted into the case and stern disciplinary action would be taken against them if found culpable,” GAF Director of Public Relations, Colonel Eric Aggrey-Quashie stated in a press release on Thursday, 31 May 2018.

At about 4:15AM, two police officers, L/Cpl Araba Botwe and L/Cpl Regina Doudu of Wassa Akropong had information from one Mensah Sani, 47, that some men in army and police uniform came to his galamsey site at Wassa Atieku in a Toyota Hilux Pick-Up with registration number GC 7920 – 12 and seized his gold concentrate popularly called 'black'. Police mounted surveillance on them to Wassa Japa. An informant told the police that the uniformed men were moving towards Akropong.

Three out of the seven military officers were arrested. They are L/Cpl Boateng Shadrack, L/Cpl Obeng Seth and L/Cpl Paul Nkuah Attah.

A civilian driver, Fianyo Richard, attached to the group, escaped arrest but his driving licence was retrieved.

Exhibits found on the suspects include three SM rifles with 52 life cartridges, four mobile phones, three sets of military uniform and a set of police uniform.

The Military High Command said: “Under no circumstance will it condone such unprofessional conduct by any member of the Ghana Armed Forces”.

GAF further assured the public that Operation Vanguard, the anti-galamsey task force constituted by government, would continue to perform its assigned tasks to ensure that their mandate is achieved.