The Inspector-General of Police’s Special Anti-Galamsey Taskforce has seized seven excavators in operations targeting illegal mining activities at Ahwiren in the Bekwai Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
The crackdown followed a request from the Chief of Ahwiren, Nana Osei Boateng, after reports that miners allegedly backed by influential figures were operating dangerously close to St Joseph’s Senior and Technical High School and Ahwiren Methodist Primary and JHS.
An initial raid netted three excavators, but miners later returned with fresh machinery to resume operations at the same site.
In a follow-up operation led by DSP Karim Mahama and ASP Bawah Abdul Jalil, the taskforce seized four more excavators.
Although the miners escaped arrest, the equipment has been moved to the Regional Police Training School in Patasi, Kumasi, for safekeeping and further investigations.
The incident adds to growing concerns over illegal mining in Ghana’s communities, particularly those located near schools and other sensitive areas.
