Personnel drawn from the Eastern South Regional Police Command has arrested thirty-eight (38) suspected illegal miners during an intelligence-led operation at Ntronang, on the outskirts of New Abirem in the Birim North District.
The operation, conducted on Friday, February 27, 2026, between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm, targeted individuals allegedly mining within a palm plantation in the area.
According to a statement signed by DSP David Fianko-Okyere of the Public Affairs Unit, seventeen of the suspects are Burkinabe nationals, while twenty-one are Ghanaians. Nine of the suspects are juveniles aged between 13 and 17 years.
Police said items retrieved at the site included water pumping machines, power plants, makeshift shelters, and water hoses. The exhibits were destroyed at the scene as part of efforts to clamp down on illegal mining activities.
“All the suspects are currently in police custody assisting investigations and will be arraigned before the court on Monday, March 2, 2026,” the statement said.
The Command reiterated its commitment to intensifying operations against illegal mining within the region.
