The Forestry Commission has arrested 11 Chinese nationals and 10 Ghanaians in a major intelligence-led operation targeting illegal mining activities (galamsey) at the Yakombo Forest Reserve in the Buipe Forest District, Savannah Region.
The operation, conducted on December 2, involved 51 Forestry Commission personnel, including forest guards from Buipe and Bole districts, supported by three Rapid Response teams. The suspects were apprehended in Compartments 50 and 51 of the reserve near Tuntumba in the Bole-Bamboi District.
Among the Chinese nationals arrested were 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 include 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).
The raid also resulted in the seizure of vehicles and heavy-duty equipment, including a Toyota Hilux, two Great Wall pick-ups, three Howo tipper trucks, and a Man Diesel low-bed truck transporting an excavator.
All suspects have been handed over to the Damongo Regional Police for investigation and prosecution, while the confiscated equipment is stored at Mole National Park under the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission.
Established in 1974, the Yakombo Forest Reserve spans approximately 1,210 km², making this operation a significant milestone in Ghana’s ongoing fight against illegal mining.
