Police seize 7 ‘illegal mining’ excavators in Ahwiren Anti-Galamsey raid

The Special Anti-Galamsey Taskforce of the Ghana Police Service has seized seven excavators in two separate operations targeting illegal mining activities in Ahwiren, a community in the Bekwai Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

The operation was carried out after the Chief of Ahwiren, Nana Osei Boateng, appealed to the police to intervene.

His request followed reports that illegal miners, allegedly supported by influential figures, were operating dangerously close to St Joseph’s Senior and Technical High School and the Ahwiren Methodist Primary and Junior High School.

In the first raid, officers confiscated three excavators from the site. However, the miners are said to have regrouped, bringing in additional machinery to continue their activities at the same location.

A follow-up operation led by DSP Karim Mahama and ASP Bawah Abdul Jalil resulted in the seizure of four more excavators. The miners fled the scene before the task force arrived, evading arrest.

All seven excavators have been transported to the Regional Police Training School in Patasi, Kumasi, where they are being held as investigations continue.

The incident has heightened concerns about the environmental and social impact of galamsey, especially when operations take place near educational facilities. Police say they are determined to track down and prosecute those behind the illegal activities