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General News of Sunday, 16 August 2015

Source: Daily Guide

50 Galamsey kids missing

Galamsey operation in Ghana Galamsey operation in Ghana

Information reaching DAILY GUIDE indicates that parents of about 50 children who were arrested at an illegal mining (galamsey) site in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem municipality of the Western Region, are yet to locate their children.

The children were arrested by a combined team of military and police personnel about a week ago.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports have indicated that the arrested children are in the custody of officials of the Department of Social Welfare in Accra for rehabilitation.

According to sources, the operation that saw the arrest of the children was carried out in collaboration with some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that claim to have the welfare of children at heart.

The children, most of whom were between the ages of 13 and 15, were arrested at Kenyanko, a popular galamsey site at Nsuaem.

A few days ago, some relatives of the arrested teenagers raised concerns about the whereabouts of their children after purported efforts to contact them had proved futile.

Safohene Zico, a resident of Nsuaem whose 15-year-old son was among the group, expressed grief that the family had not been told about the whereabouts of their son, let alone have access to him a week after his arrest.

He claimed he contacted the Tarkwa police who referred him to the regional police command.

“I followed up to the police command and was told the suspects had been taken to Accra so I should contact the National Security,” he asserted.

Safohene claimed that his checks at the National Security yielded no positive results, making him very panicky.