Anti-galamsey taskforce, Operation Vanguard has said a total of 1,129 illegal miners have so far been arrested nationwide since its inception.
According to the joint police and military taskforce, they have also confiscated 489 excavators in its operations.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) for Operation Vanguard, Squadron Leader Omane-Agyei, who was speaking on a Kumasi-based radio station, on Tuesday, 3 April 2018 said that 285 of the excavators have also been moved to the various district assemblies while some 204 others have been immobilised at various galamsey sites.
He said 132 of the illegal miners have been convicted and sentenced to prison while some others have also been fined.
Squadron Leader Omane-Agyei said the various courts are currently on break, adding that “Maybe around May, you will see more of our cases come up in court".
Fight against illegal mining
The media in 2017 launched a campaign against illicit mining in the country (galamsey) after reports emerged about the devastating condition of our lands and water bodies in some part of the country. Most of these rivers which serve as a source of drinking water for some communities have been heavily polluted.
Government also joined in the galamsey fight by setting up a ministerial committee and later a joint military and police task force under the code name "Operation Vanguard" to help stop both Ghanaians and some foreigners from endangering the lives of citizens.
'Shoot-to-kill illegal miners'- Minister
MP for Bekwai and Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu has asked Parliament to consider enacting a law that will allow the joint task force in the galamsey fight to shoot and kill people who are still involved in illicit mining.
Joseph Osei Owusu said the shoot-to-kill policy will be the only way to stop people who he described as criminals from engaging in illegal mining in the country.
According to him, the galamsey fight cannot be achieved because as a country we tend to pamper wrongdoers a lot without taking stringent measures to deal with them.