A joint team of the military and Rapid Response Units of the Forestry Commission has carried out an operation to remove illegal miners from the Krokosua Hills Forest Reserve in the Western North Region.
The operation targeted illegal mining activities around Nsinsem and Sayerano within the reserve and involved teams from the Bibiani, Sefwi Wiawso and Juaboso Forest Districts.
Although no arrests were made, the team destroyed several pieces of equipment and makeshift structures discovered at the mining sites.
Among the items destroyed were eight pumping machines, 11 changfan machines, two motorbikes, two tricycles and one generator.
The operation also led to the destruction of 18 makeshift structures believed to have been occupied by illegal miners.
The Krokosua Hills Forest Reserve has previously come under pressure from illegal mining activities. In 2023, the Forestry Commission’s Rapid Response Unit arrested eight suspected illegal miners during an operation in the reserve and seized mining equipment.
The reserve is environmentally significant, serving as an important watershed and providing habitat for a wide range of biodiversity.
The latest operation forms part of ongoing efforts by the Forestry Commission and security agencies to protect Ghana’s forest reserves from illegal mining and other activities that contribute to environmental degradation.
Authorities are expected to sustain monitoring and enforcement operations to prevent illegal miners from returning to the affected areas.
By:Rachael Djabakie