Five Chinese Nationals have been arrested for invading portions of the Apamprama forest reserve in the Bekwai district of Ashanti region.

Three Ghanaians were also arrested alongside the Chinese.

The suspects were apprehended by officials from the forestry Services Department while using excavators to mine the forest illegally.

Executive Director for the Forestry Services Department Raphael Yeboah in an interview with Starr News said the suspects have been handed over to the police for further investigations.

“I understand that Friday evening they moved excavators into the reserve in the Bekwai district and started excavation and promptly my boys accosted them.

“They were mining within the forest reserve illegally,” Mr Yeboah said.