The Ghana Forestry Commission has arrested 31 individuals — including 28 Chinese nationals and three Ghanaians — inside the Apambrama Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region, over illegal mining activities carried out under the alleged cover of “land rehabilitation” work.
Investigations revealed that the suspects had established a camp within the forest using this pretext, a tactic similar to methods previously employed in illegal mining operations.
The reserve has suffered significant degradation, with nearly half of its total area already damaged.
In a related development, authorities conducted an operation in another area that resulted in the arrest of five Chinese nationals who were engaged in illegal mining and washing mineral materials directly in the Birim River.
The Forestry Commission said its teams remain on high alert to protect forest reserves and called for the prosecution of those arrested to deter others.
The move forms part of intensified government efforts to combat illegal mining, locally known as “galamsey,” which has caused severe environmental damage to forests and rivers across Ghana.
