Chinese nationals still mining illegally in Ghana; Operation Vanguard arrest 7 in Western Region

Operation Vanguard personnel on Tuesday apprehended seven Chinese nationals who were engaged in illegal mining in the Western Region.

The suspects were arrested in a day-long patrol which started on Monday evening in the general area of Aniamote in the Wassa Akropong District.

The names of the arrested suspects have been provided as Li Jiaming, 45, Qin Weida, 45, Yang Rong, 37, Lixu Rong, 46, Lee Tong Lin, 23, Qin Weic, 41 and Bi Ming, 48.

They have since been handed over to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) for further action.

At the time of their arrest, they had two locally manufactured rifles, a pump action gun together with some other equipment in their possession.

An excavator they were operating was also seized and handed over to the IMCIM.