The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, has confirmed that armed illegal miners have once again invaded the Jimirah Forest Reserve and the Offinso Shelterbelt, raising renewed concerns over the persistent threat of galamsey in the region.
According to him, a police unit working in collaboration with the Regional Illegal Mining Task Force has been dispatched to confront the situation.
The incident comes barely a month after a joint operation by the Ghana Police Service and the Forestry Commission led to the confiscation of excavators from the Jimirah Forest Reserve.
Dr. Amoakohene made the disclosure during a working visit to the Bekwai Municipality on September 5, 2025, where he observed illegal mining activities along the Kokotro road.
Addressing journalists, he appealed to citizens to be more proactive in the fight against illegal mining by promptly reporting such activities to the National Illegal Mining Secretariat rather than relying solely on media exposure.
“We received the same information and immediately dispatched the police team on illegal mining to respond. Usually, when such reports surface in the media first, it becomes difficult to catch the perpetrators because by the time our teams arrive, they are gone. That is why we encourage citizens to call the secretariat directly so we can act swiftly and make arrests,” Dr. Amoakohene explained.
He further reiterated government’s determination to eradicate illegal mining in the Ashanti Region and across the country, stressing that the menace remains a destructive canker that must be uprooted completely.
