Operation targets environmental destruction at three polluted rivers in Ashanti Region
Police in Ghana’s Ashanti Region have arrested eight people suspected of illegal mining activities that destroyed over 10 acres of cocoa farms and polluted three rivers in the Atwima District.
The suspects were detained during a two-hour operation on August 31 along the Nwere, Abufunu, and Akai rivers near Pakyi Kaniago, where officers found them operating chanfan mining machines. Several other miners escaped during the police intervention.
Authorities seized eight motorcycles, multiple water pumping machines, and one excavator allegedly used in the illegal operations. The equipment supported mining activities that caused extensive environmental damage to the agricultural area.
Community members reported that the illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, has rendered the three rivers heavily polluted and destroyed productive cocoa farmland. The contamination raises concerns about long-term impacts on water quality and agricultural livelihoods in the region.
“This destruction is disheartening. Our farms are gone, and the rivers are no longer safe,” one resident told local media.
Divisional Police Commander DCOP Rev. Nyamekye Adani Ameyaw confirmed the arrests and said a case docket has been forwarded to the Ashanti Regional Police Command. Charge sheets have been prepared and the suspects will appear in court shortly.
The arrests highlight ongoing tensions between illegal miners and rural communities dependent on agriculture and clean water sources. Ghana’s illegal mining sector has grown significantly in recent years, often targeting gold deposits beneath cocoa farms and near water bodies.
Some residents blamed traditional leadership, particularly the Chief of Pakyi No. 1, Nana Poku Owusu Ababio II, for allegedly failing to prevent the mining activities. However, other community members declined to comment publicly, citing fears of reprisals from illegal mining operators.
Local residents have appealed to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the traditional ruler of the Ashanti Kingdom, to intervene and protect remaining farmlands and water resources from further destruction.
Ghana’s government has repeatedly launched operations against illegal mining, but the practice continues to pose environmental and economic challenges. The activity often involves foreign nationals and local collaborators using heavy machinery to extract gold from riverbanks and agricultural land.
The environmental damage from illegal mining extends beyond immediate pollution, affecting downstream communities and threatening Ghana’s position as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer.
The eight suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue. Authorities have not disclosed their identities or nationalities pending formal charges.
