Patrol team arrests illegal miners

A police and military patrol team has arrested five persons they claimed were illegal miners at Kenyasi in Asutifi District of Brong Ahafo Region.

They were put before the Sunyani Magistrate's Court 'B' presided over Mr Albert Zoogah on Thursday and remanded into prison custody to reappear on November 22 2007.

Their plea was not taken.

Briefing newsmen Assistant Commissioner of Police Charles Tokor, who led the team, said the Regional Security Council had a tip off that some illegal miners were operating at the Kenyasi so they set up the patrol team.

He said in January 2006 the team undertook an operation in Kenyasi and Goaso to track down the small-scale miners but did not make any arrest.

ACP Tokor said similar complaints were made about the activities of the miners this year and the patrol team undertook another operation and arrested the suspects on Tuesday, November 13 on the Kenyasi - Hwidiem road.

He said 23 mini-bags of sand suspected to be gold ore were found on the Opel Astra vehicle on which the suspects were travelling.

The team also seized a number of items including seven pumping machines; crushing and drilling machines; generators; rubber gallons; pipes and rubber hoses.

ACP Tokor said the team would continue with its operations and warned small-scale miners to desist from that means of earning their livelihoods.