The Forestry Commission has arrested the chief of Manse, Nana Kwame Sobre II, and nine other suspects, for allegedly engaging in illegal mining.
Personnel of the rapid response unit (RRU) of the Forestry Commission on Wednesday carried out a swoop on illegal miners at the Manse stretch of the Anhwiaso East Forest Reserve, near Diaso in the Bibiani Forest District of the Western North Region.
The operation was meant to flush out illegal miners who have entered the reserve with heavy machinery, and had destroyed the forest cover and polluted water bodies through their illegal mining operations. These illegal acts are alleged to be backed by some top political actors and traditional authorities in the region, according to the commission.
The suspects are Nana Kwame Sobre II (chief of Manse); Osman Shaibu; Nana Kwasi; Desmond Nkrumah; Abraham Donkor; Frank Mensah; Richard Kurofie; Patrick Ayambila; Abdul Salam and Rasad Nuoeeikaa.
They claimed that Nana Sobre II recruited them into the illegal mining business.
Two excavators and two heavy duty generator plants were immobilised at the illegal mining site. The suspects are in police custody now for further investigations, the statement said.
Speaking to the press, the coordinator of the rapid response unit, Samuel Darko Akonnor, issued a strong warning to citizens to desist from illegal mining in forest reserves.
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