Looters descend on abandoned illegal mining sites

Joy News has learnt residents in some mining communities in the Central region have started looting properties at mining sites as illegal small scale miners go into hiding from the presidential taskforce on illegal mining.

Hundreds of illegal miners, including foreigners, are said to have abandoned their sites at Dunkwa as the taskforce intensifies its work in the area.

There have been similar reports of looting on mining sites since the inter-ministerial taskforce on illegal mining started its work in all illegal mining areas.

Last week two looters were shot dead by the Police as they attempted to loot a gold mine in the same area.

Kofi Owusu Ashia, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Upper West Denkyira, said, the two were alleged to have shot at the Police as they attempted to stop them.

Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, who also chairs the galamsey taskforce, is asking Ghanaian operators who have been arrested by the taskforce to take steps to regularise their operations.

Alhaji Fuseini explained after their arrest, the operators had two months to regularise their operations if they wish to undertake their business with peace of mind.

“Only non-Ghanaians are not permitted by law to engage in small scale mining,” the minister stressed.