POLICE ARRESTS 26 SUSPECTS IN GALAMSEY CRACKDOWN AT ALLEGED WONTUMI-LINKED AKONTA MINING LIMITED SITE
A joint police operation has uncovered what authorities describe as one of the most brazen illegal mining operations in recent memory, arresting 26 individuals at a devastated forest reserve site connected to prominent businessman and politician Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi.
The early morning raid, conducted by elite police units, revealed an environmental catastrophe deep in the Samreboi forest reserve where vast swathes of land have been stripped bare and waterways contaminated with toxic mining waste. Among those detained were eight Chinese nationals and 18 Ghanaians caught operating heavy machinery at the illegal site.
“The level of organization and firepower at this illegal site is particularly concerning,” a police source revealed on condition of anonymity. “This wasn’t some small-scale operation it was an industrial-scale destruction of our forest.”
Documents and equipment at the site suggest links to Akonta Mining Limited, a company owned by the Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman. While Wontumi has previously denied involvement in illegal mining, this latest incident marks the second time in recent years his mining company has been connected to such allegations.
The operation forms part of IGP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare’s renewed anti-galamsey campaign, which has seen increased military-police collaboration. Environmental activists have praised the arrest but question why high-profile figures allegedly behind such operations rarely face consequences.
The suspects are expected to be arraigned before the Takoradi Circuit Court in the coming days. Police say investigations are ongoing to identify all individuals involved in funding and organizing the illegal operation.
Source:NKONKONSA.com
