The Forestry Commission has arrested 12 suspected illegal miners during a dawn operation carried out in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve in the Eastern Region.
The operation, conducted on September 4, 2026, by the Commission’s Rapid Response Unit (RRU), targeted illegal mining activities around the Sagyimase community in Compartments 61 and 62 of the reserve under the Kyebi Forest District.
According to Citi News, 17 personnel from the Assin Fosu, Akim Oda and Juaso Forest Districts took part in the operation. The team was deployed at about 1:30 a.m. as part of a covert mission to clamp down on illegal mining within the protected forest.
The officers reportedly found a group of miners actively working at the site. While 12 suspects were arrested, several others escaped into the surrounding bush.
The operation also led to the seizure of five motorbikes, 11 shovels, water hoses, blankets used for washing gold and three gallons of petrol.
The seized motorbikes comprised three Royal motorbikes, one Apsonic Aloba and one Apsonic Paul Sport.
The Forestry Commission said the 12 suspects, along with two of the motorbikes and other exhibits, have been handed over to the Kyebi District Police Command for further investigations and possible prosecution.
The remaining three motorbikes have been deposited at the Kyebi District Office of the Forest Services Division for safekeeping.
The Commission said no casualties were recorded during the operation, describing the arrests as part of its ongoing efforts to prevent illegal miners from entering protected forest reserves.
The latest arrests come amid growing concerns over illegal mining activities in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, which is recognised as an important biodiversity hotspot and a major watershed.
The forest reserve serves as the source of the Birim, Densu and Ayensu rivers, which provide water to millions of people, including residents in communities across the Greater Accra area.
Environmentalists and authorities have continued to warn that illegal mining in the reserve could result in severe damage to forest cover, threaten biodiversity and compromise water security.
The Forestry Commission has therefore pledged to intensify enforcement operations to remove illegal miners and protect Ghana’s forest reserves.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar