Operation Vanguard Invade Aisha Galamsey Site

Accra, April 19, GNA - Ashanti Forward Operating Base (FOB) of Operation Vanguard on Wednesday, April 18, conducted operations at illegal mining sites in Asuogya-Gyaman, Nyamebekyere-Gyaman and the environs of Bepotenteng in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region.

Intelligent report revealed that the site was linked to Aisha Huang who is standing trial for illegal mining.

Colonel Amoah-Ayisi, the Commander of the Joint police/military Task Force of Operation (JTF) Vanguard revealed this after the operation and admonished Ghanaians to stop aiding the illegal miners to deplete Ghana's forest reserves and river bodies.

He said, the team could not arrest any person on the field, but managed to secure expired Non-Citizen Republic of Ghana Identity Card of two Chinese Nationals who managed to escape.

The two identity cards had same name with different images - Lu Qiuying and Suspects' identity would be given to the appropriate security body for further investigations.

Colonel Amoah-Ayisi said two excavators, five industrial generators, five changfans and other earth moving equipment were immobilised and items seized included five water pumping machines, three generator sets and other mining equipment.

Concurrently, the riverine team of the Joint Task Force also was on the Ofin River and immobilised 24 Changfans on the river along the Dominase general area in the Central Region.

He called on patriotic Ghanaians not to betray the state with the little stipends issued them as compensation for feeding the illegal miners on the movements of the JTF.

Colonel Amoah-Ayisi bemoaned the extent to which some Ghanaians listened to lies peddled by the galamseyers and made a lot of media storm out of it.

The propaganda does not help our course and tends to thwart the efforts of the JTF.

'Peddling untruths about operations of the JTF and personnel will not deter us and we will continue to work for a better future that will ensure our environment is sanitised.

He advised that in the case of any unprofessional conduct, involving any personnel of operation vanguard; the public should report to the relevant institutions such as the Police, Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), Defence Intelligence (DI), any Public Relations unit of the security services, CID's including all other recognised institutions empowered by the state to investigate public officers. 'Appropriate sanctions shall be applied on those individuals when allegations are found to be true,' he assured.

The Commander of JTF re-iterated that some individuals were using the name of Operation Vanguard to extort monies from illegal miners and they were tracking them and would soon be arrested for the law to deal with them, he added.

Colonel Amoah-Ayisi urged the illegal small-scale miners to remain patient for government to roll out appropriate measures to sanitise the mining sector to operate in peaceful and sustainable environment.

On logistics, the Joint Task Force Commander disclosed that each FOB can perform three to four patrols per region in a day.

At present, he said they could only manage one patrol at a time due to lack of vehicles. Government is constrained with resources for Operation Calm Life, Cow Leg and other Security Institutions.

He further called on well-meaning institutions and individuals to support the effort of government with vehicles, drones, and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) among other related equipment for the JTF.

He was confident that when issued with adequate logistics, it would lead to much success to restore Ghana's forest reserves and river bodies.

GNA