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The Forestry Commission has arrested 21 people, 11 Chinese nationals and 10 Ghanaians, in a major intelligence-led operation against illegal mining (galamsey) at the Yakombo Forest Reserve in the Savannah Region.
The operation was conducted on December 2 by 51 personnel, including forest guards from the Buipe and Bole Forest Districts and three Rapid Response teams. The arrests were made in Compartments 50 and 51, near Tuntumba in the Bole-Bamboi District.
The Chinese nationals arrested include Tang Shao Qi (28), He Peng (40), Zhou Qin Sar (25), Wu Xu (39), He Chuang Ye (45), Cheng Lin (40), Long Xi (32), Yang Gesheng (51), Zhang Hongzhaojie (34), Zhou Peng (39), and Wu Yujie (24).
The Ghanaian suspects are Alhassan Yakubu, Daniel Mba (33), Pious Kwabena (20), Emmanuel Amankra (40), Seidu Suleman (44), Sampson Akawuni (22), Thadeus Gideon (27), Mohammed Salim (21), Mohammed Kanamu (25), and Saaka Yakubu (22).
Officials also seized several vehicles and heavy equipment, including one Toyota Hilux, two Great Wall pick-up trucks, three Howo tipper trucks, and a Man Diesel low-bed truck transporting an excavator.
All suspects have been handed over to the Damongo Regional Police for further investigations and prosecution. The seized equipment has been transferred to Mole National Park under the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission.
The Yakombo Forest Reserve, established in 1974, is the largest forest reserve in Ghana, covering an estimated 1,210 square kilometres.
