The Anti-Illegal Mining Task Force has impounded two excavators and a pickup truck during a raid on an alleged illegal mining site near the Adansi Asokwa Hospital in the Ashanti Region.
The operation was carried out after authorities received reports on Wednesday morning about suspected illegal mining activities in the vicinity of the hospital.
According to the Ashanti Regional Minister, the suspects fled the scene after becoming aware that security agencies had been alerted to their activities.
“Upon the suspects realising that the matter had come to the attention of the authorities, they fled the scene. During the operation, two excavators and one pickup truck were impounded, and investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend those responsible,” the Minister said in a statement posted on his official Facebook page.
He disclosed that attempts to identify the owners of the affected land were unsuccessful.
The Minister further announced that the government would reclaim the degraded land as part of its land restoration programme and take steps to return ownership of the property to the state to support future expansion and development of the hospital.
“As part of the Council’s land reclamation initiative, the degraded land will be reclaimed, and steps will be taken to ensure that ownership of the land reverts to the Government of Ghana for future support services to the hospital,” the statement said.
The Regional Minister commended the whistleblower whose tip-off led to the successful operation and urged the public to continue providing information on illegal mining and other environmental crimes.
“We commend the whistleblower whose timely information made this intervention possible. We encourage all citizens to remain vigilant and continue to report illegal mining and other environmental crimes,” he added.
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