Nineteen national security operatives have been arrested for engaging in illegal small scale mining activities in the Atewa Forest in the Eastern Region.

The Kade District manager of the Forestry Commission, Mr Kwabena Adu-Bonnah disclosed this to the media on Wednesday May 5.

“Yesterday around 8: 30 pm, an informant from Akanteng informed us about the presence of some people in military outfit entering the galamsey area so we mobilised and around 4 o’clock we went to the community, by then they were coming down so with the help of the community we were able to arrest about nineteen and later eleven,” he stated.

“In a matter of 10 days, we’ve been able to arrest 65 people who are either in military or police outfits claiming to be national security officers.

“Last week we arrested some, this week, we arrested four, 19, and 11 on some galamsey sites in the region. They have all been handed over to the police for further action,” Mr Adu-Bonnah added.

The Asamankese Divisional Police Commander ACP Kankam Boadu also told journalists that the suspects have been moved to the Eastern Regional Police Command for further investigations.

“Police had intelligence that some national security personnel have been accosted at the Akanteng chief’s palace. We rushed there and they handed over to us eight men who claim to be National security personnel and three illegal miners.

“Our interim investigation indicates that the national security personnel came there to mine for gold that is why the town folks arrested. We rearrested them and sent them to the Regional Police Command to continue with their investigation”

He added, “Our information is that the forestry Commission had earlier taken some of the national security personnel to the region but we don’t know their number”.

Source: 3news