Ashanti Region: Authorities bust hidden fuel depot supporting “galamsey” at Jimmirah Forest Reserve
A covert fuel station believed to be supporting illegal mining operations has been discovered deep within the Jimmirah Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region, during a joint security operation.
The raid was carried out on Thursday (5 June) by personnel from the Minerals Development Fund (MDF) and other security agencies. The hidden fuel depot is suspected of supplying fuel to earth-moving equipment used in illegal mining, known locally as “galamsey” within the protected forest.
Arrest
Several foreign nationals, believed to be at the helm of the illicit mining activity, were arrested during the swoop.
Speaking after the operation, the Administrator of the Minerals Development Fund, Dr Hannah Bissiw, condemned the environmental destruction caused by the activities and called for tougher accountability.
“The community is fed up, and in fact, the communities are fed up,” she told journalists.
“They are fed up that they destroy the land, they destroy the water bodies, and at the end of the day, they are going to blame the government because when they want water, the government has to provide it.”
Foreign influx
Dr Bissiw was particularly critical of the foreign nationals involved—many of whom, she claimed, had shown no remorse.
“For these Chinese who say they don’t feel sorry for what they have done, they have destroyed our water bodies, and they have done so much,” she said.
“We will also make sure that the law takes its course. If they are going to be deported, it should not be before they pay for the restoration of Offin.”
Environmental groups have long raised alarms about illegal mining in Ghana’s forest reserves, citing deforestation, polluted rivers, and devastated farmlands. The Offin River, a key water source in the region, has been among the hardest hit by “galamsey” operations.
