For allegedly practicing illegal mining, also known as galamsey, within the Atewa Range Forest Reserve in the Eastern Region, the Forestry Commission’s Rapid Response Unit (RRU) has detained 12 people.
During a dawn raid on September 4, 2026, the arrests were carried out around the Sagyimase community in Compartments 61 and 62 of the Atewa Forest Reserve in the Kyebi Forest District.
About 1:30 a.m., 17 people from the Assin Fosu, Akim Oda, and Juaso Forest Districts were dispatched as part of a clandestine operation to curb illegal mining activities in the reserve, according to the Forestry Commission.
When the team arrived at the location, they found a group of illegal miners working, which resulted in the arrest of 12 people. The others managed to flee into the nearby woodland.
Among the objects found on the site were three Royal motorbikes, one Apsonic Aloba, one Apsonic Paul Sport, five other motorbikes, three liters of gasoline, water hoses, blankets used to wash gold, and eleven shovels.
The 12 suspects, along with two of the motorbikes and other exhibits, have been turned over to the Kyebi District Police Command for additional inquiry and prosecution, according to the Forestry Commission.
The Kyebi District Office of the Forest Services Division has kept the three motorbikes that are still there for safekeeping.
According to the Commission, the operation was completed successfully with no casualties. It also called the arrests and equipment confiscation a warning to those who engage in unlawful mining in forest reserves.
As the origin of the Densu, Birim, and Ayensu rivers, the Atewa Range Forest Reserve is a significant watershed and center of biodiversity.
Millions of people, including those who live in Accra and nearby areas, get their water from the rivers.
However, illegal mining and logging have increased pressure on the reserve, raising concerns about how they may affect Ghana’s water security and biodiversity.
The Forestry Commission has pledged to keep up its efforts to drive out illegal miners who continue to encroach on forest reserves.
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