A total of 41 people, including eight Chinese nationals and four women, have been remanded by an Accra High Court for allegedly engaging in illegal mining activities in the Tano and Subri rivers near Samreboi in the Western Region.
The suspects face charges including undertaking a mining operation without a licence, possession of firearms and ammunition without lawful authority, and pollution of water bodies, contrary to the Water Resources Commission Act of 1996.
Prosecutors told the court that on April 17, 2024, a special operation by the police uncovered the illegal miners actively working with excavators and Changfang machines, washing sand by the rivers.
Among the items retrieved were three pump-action guns, 310 rounds of live ammunition, GH₵157,000 in cash, and suspected gold nuggets, allegedly found in the possession of one suspect, Michael Gyedu Ayisi.
The accused were divided into two groups. The first set of 29, which included the eight Chinese nationals, was directed by the court to file bail applications by April 24.
The prosecution is expected to respond by April 28, with the suspects set to reappear in court on April 30. The second group of 12, including the four women, will reappear on May 2.
During the operation, authorities also confiscated 17 excavators, a bulldozer, four motorbikes, three vehicles, four pump-action guns, a single-barrel gun, 54 live cartridges, and eight pumping machines.
One court official noted, “The scale of this operation shows how deeply entrenched galamsey remains. The court is committed to ensuring due process and accountability.