The long years of illegal mining inside one of Ghana’s major rainforest reserves have led to the destruction of an estimated cover of about 24,000 acres.
The illegal mining of the Aminase Upper Wassa Forest Reserve which is located in the Western Region has also led to the pollution of vast lands.
Parts of the forest now have gullies full of poisonous stagnant water and heaps of clay-sand.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee Taskforce caught the illegal miners upon intelligence it received from sources.
The Head of the Inter-Ministerial Committee Taskforce on Illegal Mining, Francis Assibi-Abu said the company engaging in this illegal act is called C&G Alaska mining.
According to him, the illegal miner has been operating on the leased concession with a prospecting license.
He said that the task force will pursue all illegal miners and ensure that they are prosecuted without fear or favour.
He explained further that the task force is not meant to destroy anybody’s genuine business but rather to curb illegal mining in the country.
He further indicated that the lifting of the ban on small-scale mining does not mean illegal miners can have a ‘field day’. He observed that not every small-scale miner has been given the go-ahead to mine.
Ar Assibi-Abu said that the government is screening a number of small-scale miners who will be given licences to go about their business.
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