S/R: 11 Chinese, 10 Ghanaians Arrested For Galamsey in Yakombo Forest Reserve
Twenty-one suspects have been arrested for illegal mining activities in the Yakombo Forest Reserve in the Savannah Region.
Eleven of them are said to be Chinese nationals.
They were arrested in an operation on December 2, 2025, by 51 personnel of the Forestry Commission, made up of forest guards from the Buipe and Bole Forest District offices of the Forest Services Division, and 3 Rapid Response teams.
“The suspects were rounded up in Compartments 50 and 51 of the Reserve, which is close to Tuntumba in the Bole-Bamboi District.”
The 11 Chinese suspects were identified as Tang Shao Qi, 28; He Peng, 40; Zhou Qin Sar, 25; Wu Xu, 39; He Chuang Ye, 45; Cheng Lin, 40; Long Xi, 32; Yang Gesheng, 51; Zhang Hongzhaojie, 34; Zhou Peng, 39; and Wu Yujie, 24.
Meanwhile, the Ghanaian suspects were identified as Alhassan Yakubu; Daniel Mba, 33; Pious Kwabena, 20; Emmanuel Amankra, 40; Seidu Suleman, 44; Sampson Akawuni, 22; Thadeus Gideon, 27; Mohammed Salim, 21; Mohammed Kanamu, 25; and Saaka Yakubu, 22.
Additionally, one Toyota Hilux and two Great Wall pick-up vehicles, three Howo tipper trucks, and one Man Diesel low-bed truck carrying an excavator were seized.
The suspects have since been handed over to the Damongo Regional Police for investigations and prosecution, while the seized equipment has been deposited at the Mole National Park, which is under the management of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission.
The Yakombo Forest Reserve, which was established in 1974, is the largest in Ghana and covers an area of approximately 1,210km2.
Story by Hajara Fuseini
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