A total of 400 police cum military personnel would be deployed to mining areas next week to counter the activities of illegal miners known as galamsey.

This is part of government’s unrelenting fight against the galamsey canker that have had dire consequences on the country over the years: water bodies have been destroyed, arable land depleted and environment degraded among other fatal effects. The heavily equipped security personnel will start patrolling the mining areas from Monday July 31, 2017, Col. Eric Aggrey-Quarshie, Director, Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces confirmed to Martin Asiedu-Dartey on TV3 Midday Live on Wednesday.

This is not the first time a joint security taskforce has been deployed to curtail activities of illegal miners.

Though previous ones did not achieve the needed results, Col. Aggrey Quarshie is hopeful it would be successful this time round, noting that the “initial deployment is supposed to be for one year”. The attention of the taskforce would be on three regions – Ashanti, Western and Eastern – he said. “If there is the need to expand it to other areas, it will be done,” he assured.