The Ashanti South Police Command has vowed to prosecute four suspects arrested for illegal mining activities in the Krobo Forest Reserve, despite an alleged attempt by the Jacobu-Odotobri NDC Chairman to secure their release.

According to a report by citinewsroom.com on May 12, 2026, the suspects were arrested on Monday, May 11, 2026, during a joint anti-galamsey operation conducted by the police and Logeist Group Company Limited within the protected forest reserve.

Police said the suspects were caught actively engaging in illegal mining activities dangerously close to the Oda River.

“We found four excavators actively engaged in illegal mining within the forest reserve and operating very close to the Oda River,” officials stated.

During the operation, two excavators were seized, while other equipment and items discovered at the site were destroyed.

Officials further alleged that the Jacobu-Odotobri NDC Chairman arrived at the scene in one of the miners’ vehicles and claimed responsibility for granting the suspects access to the forest reserve.

“The chairman pleaded with officers to release the suspects, insisting that the individuals involved were his associates,” the police alleged.

Despite the intervention, the Ashanti South Police Command maintained that the suspects would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Speaking to the media after the operation, the Operations Manager of Logeist Group Company Limited, Seth Kofi Adjei, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting efforts to combat illegal mining and protect Ghana’s natural resources.

“The company remains committed to supporting anti-galamsey efforts to protect Ghana’s natural resources,” he stated.

NAD/VPO

Africa no longer on the sidelines of global finance - BoG Governor