Anti-galamsey taskforce attacked at Bonteso
A team from the Inspector-General of Police’s Special Anti-Galamsey Taskforce came under violent attack on Thursday at Bonteso in the Ashanti Region following the seizure of an excavator from an illegal mining site near Manso Nkwanta.
The operation, aimed at curbing illegal mining activities in the area, turned chaotic when a group of irate residents, reportedly led by the local assembly member, launched an assault on the officers.
The crowd hurled stones at the taskforce in a bid to prevent them from leaving the site with the confiscated equipment.
Despite firing warning shots to disperse the mob, the officers were met with fierce resistance. Two members of the taskforce, ASP Bawah Abdul Jalil and G/Sgt. Agblekpe Mawuena Yao, sustained injuries during the confrontation.
The team managed to arrest the assembly member for the area, Patrick Asare, along with two other individuals identified as Osei Vasco and Akwesi Amponsah.
After a tense standoff and a series of targeted arrests, the officers regained control of the situation and successfully transported one of the seized excavators to the Manso Adubia Police Station.
A second excavator was left behind due to the volatile nature of the confrontation and concerns for officer safety.
The Manso enclave has long been a hotspot for illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, which has wreaked havoc on farmlands and severely polluted local water bodies. Authorities say the latest incident underscores the growing resistance faced by law enforcement in the fight against environmental degradation and illegal mining.
Investigations are ongoing and further arrests may follow as part of efforts to dismantle illegal mining operations in the region.
