Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has expressed concern over the growing involvement of foreign nationals, particularly Chinese citizens, in illicit mining operations.
He questioned how these individuals manage to enter the country and engage in criminal activities.
The Chief Justice made these remarks during a courtesy visit to the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Samuel Basintale Amadu, on February 4, 2026.
Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie emphasized the necessity for enhanced collaboration between the judiciary and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to combat crimes involving foreign nationals.
He noted that the activities of illegal miners have prompted authorities to establish specialized courts to expedite such cases.
“Some of the ways of dealing with the crime of the day are the creation of a special force. We all know the state of cross-border crimes, such as human trafficking, cybercrime, and galamsey. Particularly, galamsey may not be considered cross-border, but because of the people involved in it.
“We cannot close our eyes to the fact that the Chinese have invaded our galamsey sites. In some of the towns, you have the Chinese selling tools for galamsey. They buy the gold in these areas. The Chinese involved in the galamsey are not conjured; they are from China, so how do they get here or enter our borders?” the Chief Justice said.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie urged enhanced collaboration to tackle security challenges such as cybercrime and narcotics trafficking linked to foreign nationals, stressing that coordinated law enforcement and immigration efforts are critical.
