Two Ghanaian journalists, Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah and Kwame Appiah Kubi, along with their team, successfully apprehended three Chinese nationals engaged in illegal mining activities, commonly known as “galamsey,” in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve within the Samreboi district of the Western North Region.
On August 30, 2024, Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah disclosed that their presence in Takoradi was initially for unrelated business in an exclusive interview with a GhanaWeb journalist.
However, upon receiving information about ongoing illegal mining operations in the forest reserve, the team decided to take immediate action.
Afrifa-Mensah recounted the scene upon their arrival at the forest reserve, where the extent of environmental destruction compelled them to make a citizen’s arrest under Section 12 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act.
“When I saw the level of destruction they had caused, I decided to rely on citizens’ arrest. I arrested them and handed them over to the police,” he explained.
The operation was not without its challenges. Afrifa-Mensah mentioned that the culprits resisted arrest and even attempted to block access to the site by locking the main gate leading to the forest.
“They tried to sabotage the process by locking the main gate that leads to the bush, so we couldn’t get access to the place,” he said. However, the team, determined to see the mission through, used minimum force and managed to arrest the individuals.
The arrested Chinese nationals were identified as Li Zhengang (51 years), Li Derui (35 years), and Li Baosheng (55 years).
They were apprehended without any assistance from local security forces. Afrifa-Mensah questioned the role of Samartex Timber & Plywood Company Limited, whose premises are close to the illegal mining site. “Samartex, which is a company that deals with timber and has a football club, made noise about certain Akonta mining. How come now people have free access to your forest and mine without raising an alarm?” he questioned.
The journalists and their team faced further obstacles after making the arrests. Upon returning from the forest reserve, they discovered that the gate they had previously entered was now locked with chains.
Afrifa-Mensah described how they managed to bypass this hurdle. “We are militants; we have to move. If we decide to do something, nothing gets in our way. If you get in our way, you will be hit with something devastating. So, when we got there, I took out a pump-action gun and had to open the gate with a combustion,” he asserted.
The local Ghanaian workers involved in the illegal mining operation were spared, while the three Chinese nationals were handed over to the Asankragua Police Division Command for further investigation. Following their arrest, the men were remanded in custody pending further legal proceedings.
Afrifa-Mensah noted that the suspects could not produce any valid documentation to justify their presence in the forest reserve.
“Upon inquiries, with their documentation, they could not provide any or show that they had been permitted to enter, so we handed them over to the police to investigate and prosecute them,” he said.
The site, located near the Samartex Timber & Plywood Company Limited, had been operating with both Chinese nationals and local laborers involved in the illegal activities. Superintendent Ntori of the Asankragua Division Police Command declined to provide further details when contacted, directing the news team to headquarters, where they are yet to receive additional information.