Three Chinese nationals have been arrested for allegedly engaging in illegal mining at Fahiakobo, a town in the Amansie Central District in the Ashanti Region.
The three were arrested on Monday, January 6, 2020, by the Operation Vanguard Ashanti Forward Operating Base (FOB), led by Officer Commanding (OC), Captain AD Kabenla.
The suspects are: Li Fei Chin, 35, Qiang Zhong-Wu, 42 and Li Yanwong, 47.
The joint military-police Anti-Galamsey Taskforce team in a statement said 3 pump-action guns, 14 cartridges of AAA Rounds, 5 Gold detectors, 5 metal detectors, 14 handheld radio communication gadgets and 6 water pumping machines were retrieved from the suspects.
Other items seized included 3 car batteries, 2 large size waterholes, 1 excavator monitor, 1 excavator control board, 6 buckets of gear oil, a bucket of grease, tools box and 2 digital scales.
According to the statement, the seized items have been sent to Ashanti FOB storehouse pending further investigation while the three Chinese citizens were handed over to the Obuasi Divisional Police Command for investigation and prosecution.
Nine Chinese arrested for mining illegally
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) in September 2019 arrested nine Chinese men for allegedly engaging in illegal mining operations in Kwakyiekrom in the Ashanti Region.
Items confiscated in the operation include a Toyota Land Cruiser, an Excavator, washing carpet, as mall cylinder, refrigerator, gallon, gear oil, scale and two batteries.
Four Chinese arrested at Prestea Huni Valley
Some four (4) Chinese nationals were arrested in November 2019 over the same illegal mining issue.
They were arrested by the Western Forward Operation Base (FOB) of the National Anti-Galamsey Task Force at Asumpa, in the Prestea Huni Valley District.
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