Government has vowed not to bring an end to the war against illegal mining popularly known as Galamsey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to him, during the third phase of the operation, River Offin, River Oda and River Birim, were covered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a day, he said the military were pulling out about 700 excavators from the forests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most of the people engaged in the illegal mining activities are not ordinary Ghanaians but rather rich men sitting in Accra and London, he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said some excavators were being hired for about Ghc 6,000 or Ghc 7,000 each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The minister made this known while giving an update on phase three of Operation Halt II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to him, during the third phase of the Operation, 40 excavators all working within the Birim River were burnt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stated that 228 Chanfangs, 87 water pumping machines, 76 wooden structures; one container; seven generators; motorbikes, hunter guns, were burnt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the Eastern Region, he said the miners were carrying out illegality with \u201cimpunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said illegal miners in the Eastern Region refused to take out their equipment from sites despite hearing about the operations of the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stated that River Birim has been virtually destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to him, aerial inspections revealed that there are serious destructions to river bodies and environment in the mining communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the illegal miners , he said, have resorted to mining in the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSome big companies are doing the wrong thing,\u201d he bemoaned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The impact of Operation Halt II has been huge, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chinese arrested!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Minister added that one Chinese was arrested during the four-day operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Source: dailyguidenetwork.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n