The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), conducted 228 operations and recorded 112 arrests across 38 districts in August, Paa Kwesi Schandorf has disclosed.
Schandorf said the figures formed part of the latest operations carried out as the government intensifies its fight against illegal mining.
“In total, there were 228 operations that were… in the month of August. Out of this, 112 arrests were affected and it covered 38 districts,” he saidon Joy Prime.
The figures come as Schandorf argues that the fight against galamsey requires a broader national effort beyond the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
He said NIMOS operations sometimes face difficulties when residents return to mining sites after the government teams have left.
“There have been times where NIMOS have gone into communities, they have embarked on operations, then upon exiting the communities, the locals revert to the mines that were collapsed,” he said.
Schandorf said the involvement of local residents, coupled with economic considerations, makes the fight more complicated than simply arresting miners or shutting down mining sites.
He maintained that the country must continue the conversation around galamsey while also ensuring that the government and citizens do not become tired of confronting the problem.
