The Forestry Commission has apprehended eleven Chinese nationals and ten Ghanaians in a coordinated, intelligence-driven raid targeting illegal mining operations in the Yakombo Forest Reserve, located in the Buipe Forest District.
The operation, conducted on Tuesday, December 2, involved a 51-member team of forest guards from the Buipe and Bole Forest District offices of the Forest Services Division, supported by three Rapid Response units. The mission aimed to dismantle illicit mining activities in the protected reserve.
The suspects were apprehended in Compartments 50 and 51 of the reserve, near Tuntumba in the Bole-Bamboi District.
Established in 1974, the Yakombo Forest Reserve spans approximately 1,210 square kilometres, making it Ghana’s largest forest reserve. Forestry officials say that the illegal intrusion poses a significant threat to the reserve’s ecological integrity.
The Chinese nationals arrested include Tang Shao Qi (28), He Peng (40), Zhou Qin Sar (25), Wu Xu (39), He Chuang Ye (45), Cheng Lin (40), Long Xi (32), Yang Gesheng (51), Zhang Hongzhaojie (34), Zhou Peng (39), and Wu Yujie (24). The Ghanaians detained are Alhassan Yakubu, Daniel Mba (33), Pious Kwabena (20), Emmanuel Amankra (40), Seidu Suleman (44), Sampson Akawuni (22), Thadeus Gideon (27), Mohammed Salim (21), Mohammed Kanamu (25), and Saaka Yakubu (22).
Authorities also seized vehicles and mining equipment, including a Toyota Hilux, two Great Wall pick-up trucks, three Howo tipper trucks, and a Man Diesel low-bed truck carrying an excavator.
All 21 suspects have been transferred to the Damongo Regional Police Command to assist with investigations and face possible prosecution. The confiscated equipment has been moved to Mole National Park and is now under the supervision of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission.
Officials emphasized that the operation underscores the Forestry Commission’s commitment to protecting Ghana’s natural resources and curbing illegal mining activities in sensitive ecological zones.
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