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A coordinated operation by the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) of the Forestry Commission (FC) and 30 military personnel has led to a significant crackdown on illegal mining in the Tano Anwia Forest Reserve, situated in the Enchi Forest District of the Western North Region.
During the raid on Sunday, March 9, 2025, the team seized 10 excavators and a bulldozer while apprehending four individuals in Compartments 17 and 20 of the reserve.
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This follows an earlier enforcement action on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, when staff from the Forest Services Division (FSD) of the FC, in collaboration with the RRU, responded to a tip-off and stormed the same forest reserve. On that occasion, 12 excavators engaged in illegal mining were removed from the area.
However, the team was unable to make any arrests as they were outnumbered, and the miners were reportedly armed.
The operation underscores the government’s intensified efforts to combat illegal mining, which continues to pose a severe threat to Ghana’s forest reserves and natural ecosystems.
On Thursday, March 6, 2025, intelligence reports indicated that illegal miners were planning to return to the forest reserve. In response, the enforcement team was deployed to prevent their re-entry.
Despite these efforts, the illegal miners returned on Saturday, March 8, 2025. Acting on another tip-off, the team attempted to make arrests, but the miners, heavily armed, outnumbered them and refused to remove the excavators from the reserve.
As a result, a reinforced joint team was dispatched to the forest to seize the excavators and detain those involved. The confiscated equipment is currently being transported to the Enchi District Assembly premises, and a formal complaint has been lodged with the Enchi District Police Command.
Authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to preserving Ghana’s forests and have warned that further actions will be taken against those engaged in illegal mining activities.
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