The Lands and Natural Resources Ministry has disclosed that it is set to take delivery of four aircraft from the Ghana Armed Forces to help fight against illegal mining.
According to the Deputy lands Minister George Mireku Duker, the aircraft which belongs to the Armed Forces will come in handy as new strategies are being mapped out to fight galamsey.
“The aircraft has been around, and they are sitting in Takoradi. You could bear with me that in court we may need some evidence, it is the reason these aircraft are very important in the sector.
“We are hoping to have not less than four of these aircraft,” Mr. Duker said in an interview with the media on January 10.
In November 2022, the Ghana Armed Forces deployed in the fight against illegal mining in forest reserves and river bodies seized 30 excavators, destroyed four and immobilized four others on site.
This was after the re-launch of Operation Halt II on October 11, 2022, with the seizure and destruction made within the period ending October 31.
According to the Director of Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces, Naval Captain Michael Addo Larbi, during the three-week operation period, the teams destroyed 103 Changfan machines, nine water pumping machines, five generator sets, and two fuel storage tanks