Four young men allegedly hired from Koforidua by a miner to attack members of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Taskforce (NAIMOS) have been overpowered, beaten, and arrested at Akyem Osino in the Fanteakwa South District of the Eastern Region.
One of the suspects, who sustained injuries during the confrontation, has been hospitalized.
The incident occurred early Saturday morning when the taskforce launched a major operation to clamp down on illegal mining activities in the Osino area, one of the most notorious galamsey hotspots in the Eastern Region.
According to officials, the operation targeted sites where illegal miners had been operating with impunity, including areas along the Birim River and locations close to homes, schools, churches, highways, and even beneath high-voltage electricity poles.
During the raid, several makeshift tents and mining structures were set ablaze. In total, 36 suspected illegal miners were arrested, including 32 Nigerien nationals.
Eastern Regional National Security Liaison Officer, Francis Annor Dompreh, confirmed that the foreign nationals have since been transferred to Accra for further investigations by the Ghana Immigration Service, while the Ghanaian suspects are being handled by the police.
The confrontation comes barely a day after the Eastern Regional Secretariat of the National Security issued a stern warning to illegal miners and youth groups allegedly being incited by their financiers to attack security personnel enforcing the ban on illegal mining.
Mr. Dompreh had earlier cautioned that intelligence gathered by National Security suggested plans by some individuals and communities to resist operations of the taskforce, warning that any such actions would be met with a firm and decisive response.
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