Luck evaded thirteen illegal miners who were operating in the Bonsa River in the Western Region, as they were all arrested by the Forestry Commission in an operation to clamp down on illegal mining activities, otherwise known as 'galamsey'.  The arrest was carried out by the Forestry Commission's Rapid Response Team (RRT), upon intelligence gathering.

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 As per reports, the group of suspects consisted of seven individuals from Ghana and six individuals from China.The arrested Ghanaian suspects have been identified as Halidu Salam, 32; Haruna Sule, 28; Atta Penyin Ayoma, 33; Kofi Taller, 43; Paul Agidi, 32; Amoako Emmanuel, 33; and George Addo.The Chinese suspects on the other hand are Lua Lin Sie, Lui Chan Nai; Mo Nai Kong, Son Sin; Wei Jia Ping and Niu Wai Sing.

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Currently, the suspects are in police custody, according to the Forestry Commission for legal proceedings.The Rapid Response Team (RRT), made of twenty-one men drawn from four RRTs stationed in Tarkwa, Prestea, Samre conducted an operation in the neighboring communities of Epieso and Atwereboada, which are located on the outskirts of the Bonsa Reserves.

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It was within that particular neighborhood that the compartment belonging to Samartax Company Limited was located, serving as the operational base for the suspects.Aside from the arrest, five excavators and two motorcycles were destroyed by the RRT. The team also destroyed two long housing units and several fuel deposits.

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In the interim, the Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources have jointly urged the Ghana Police Service to expedite the legal processing of the perpetrators, while also requesting the judiciary to impose stricter penalties on them in accordance with the relevant legislation.

RRT who embarked on the operation were made up of twenty-one men who drowned from four RRTs

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stationed at Tarkwa, Prestea, Samreboi and Takoradi.

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