Illegal mining: 2 policemen, 8 others arrested at Juaboso

Ten persons including two policemen have been arrested by the Rapid Response Unit of the Forestry Commission in the Juaboso District of the Western North Region.

They include four Chinese nationals identified as Men Shi Yu, 30, Wen Yong Cheng, 30, Wen Fu Lin, 58 and Lee Pin, 60, their four Ghanaian collaborators, Edward Owusu, 25, Kwesi Frank, 42, Abudu Dramani, 41 and Joe Naburi, 27.

Two police officers, Detective Sergeant, Yahaya Andrews and Lance Corporal Azantillow believed to be protecting them were also arrested at the mining site inside the forest reserve.

During interrogation, Detective Sergeant Yahaya Andrews told the team that Chief Inspector Adusei Negga ordered them to patrol the Kokosua Forest Reserve close to Asempaneye where they are stationed.

The joint operation conducted on Tuesday, December 12 by the Rapid Response Unit and the District Forest Management of Juaboso also saw the burning of 10 excavators used by the miners.

The Krokosua Forest Reserve has come under siege recently by illegal miners who have already destroyed large parts of it.