Three men suspected of engaging in illegal mining within the Tano-Boin Forest Reserve have been arrested and remanded after allegedly being caught operating along the Tano River.
The suspects were arrested on October 2, 2026, during an operation by members of the Jema Anti-Galamsey Advocacy (JAGA) Watch Committee, according to the organisation. The group said the men were found with a water-pumping machine and a changfang mining raft.
One of the suspects reportedly attempted to escape by swimming across the Tano River after the committee members intercepted them. The JAGA team pursued him into the river and apprehended him.
The three men were subsequently handed over to police at the Jema Police Station before being transferred to the District Police Command at Enchi.
However, they were taken to the Assankragwa Magistrate Court because the Enchi Magistrate and Circuit Courts currently have no substantive judicial officers. The court remanded the suspects for one week.
JAGA commended the Enchi District Police Command and the Forestry Commission for supporting the operation and ensuring the suspects were brought before a court.
The advocacy group said the arrests highlight the need for sustained enforcement against illegal mining in protected forest reserves, as well as closer cooperation between community watchdogs and state institutions.
“When civilians risk their lives to arrest illegal miners to protect their water bodies and forests from destruction, state institutions must support them by enforcing the law,” JAGA said.
The organisation also called on law-enforcement and judicial authorities to give the case the necessary attention because of the potential environmental consequences of illegal mining in forest reserves.
