The Upper West regional Command of the Ghana Immigration Service repatriated 35 West African nationals on Thursday for entering the country through unapproved routes to engage in illegal mining.

Made up of 25 nationals of Guinea and 11 Burkina Faso nationals, they were arrested at Bole in the Northern Region and brought to Wa.

The deportees who claimed they were in transit to Cote D’Ivoire were arrested at their hide-out by personnel of the Service in Bole which falls under the Upper West Command.

Mr. Theodore Sodode, the Regional Commander of the Service, told the Ghana News Agency that they found metal detectors on them an indication that they were in the country to prospect for gold.

The Command also impounded 16 unregistered motorbikes belonging to them.