The Western Regional Anti-Galamsey Task Force has conducted a swoop on illegal mining (galamsey) activities, along the Neung South Forest Reserve near Dompim in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality.
The team, through an intelligence-led operation, seized seven excavators, 18 water pumping machines, and a pump-action gun from the site.

They also destroyed all makeshift structures used by the illegal miners at the site.
Brigadier General Musah Whajah (Rtd), the Western Regional National Security Liaison Officer, who led the operation, said the Neung South Forest Reserve had suffered an extensive environmental damage, prompting an action from the security team.
He said: “The intelligence we had was that there were serious activities of galamsey along the Neung South Forest Reserve that is close to Dompim, so we needed to act.

“In the course of the operation, we came across seven excavators, but unfortunately two were unserviceable, we removed the control boards of three, also successfully tracked and located the other two.”

Brig. Gen. Whajah (Rtd) said the seized exhibits had been sent to the Simpa Police Station for further investigation.
He reiterated the team’s commitment to combating the galamsey menace on water bodies and forest reserves to help safeguard the environment.

He said there was the need for the Task Force to sustain the operation, looking at the devastation in the Neung South Forest Reserve, so that the country could get rid of galamsey activities in the forest reserve.