The Forestry Commission has apprehended 11 Chinese nationals and 10 Ghanaians during an intelligence-driven operation against illegal mining (galamsey) within the Yakombo Forest Reserve in the Buipe Forest District of the Savannah Region.
The December 2 operation deployed 51 Forestry Commission personnel, comprising forest guards from the Buipe and Bole Forest District offices under the Forest Services Division, supported by three Rapid Response teams. The arrests were made in Compartments 50 and 51 of the reserve, close to Tuntumba in the Bole-Bamboi District.
The Chinese nationals arrested include: Tang Shao Qi (28), He Peng (40), Zhou Qin Sar (25), Wu Xu (39), He Chuang Ye (45), Cheng Lin (40), Long Xi (32), Yang Gesheng (51), Zhang Hongzhaojie (34), Zhou Peng (39), and Wu Yujie (24).
The Ghanaians picked up during the operation are: Alhassan Yakubu, Daniel Mba (33), Pious Kwabena (20), Emmanuel Amankra (40), Seidu Suleman (44), Sampson Akawuni (22), Thadeus Gideon (27), Mohammed Salim (21), Mohammed Kanamu (25), and Saaka Yakubu (22).
Officials also seized several vehicles and heavy equipment, including a Toyota Hilux, two Great Wall pick-ups, three Howo tipper trucks, and a Man Diesel low-bed truck transporting an excavator. All suspects have been transferred to the Damongo Regional Police for further investigation and prosecution. The confiscated machinery has been moved to Mole National Park under the custody of the Wildlife Division.
Established in 1974, the Yakombo Forest Reserve is Ghana’s largest, spanning approximately 1,210 km².
