40 Chinese arrested for illegal mining in Ghana

Forty Chinese nationals have been arrested by the Western Regional Police Command for illegal mining and prospecting in the Kutukrom forest near Prestea in the Prestea Huni-Valley District of the Western Region.

They told the police they were employees of Guanhua Mining Limited and were contracted to prospect for gold for the Ghanaian holder of the concession in the district.

According to the police, the suspects were arrested carrying out galamsey about 100 meters from River Furry, but claimed they were legal prospectors.

They justified their galamsey activities by saying that part of the proceeds thereof was used to satisfy the excessive demands of the people in the communities they operating.

They said out of their activities for instance, they had provided six boreholes for the community to have access to clean water and also paid allowances of some pupil teachers in the community.

However, they were not able to tell where the gold they mine out of their galamsey activities is sold.

Source: graphic.com