Police and military officers have carried out a full-scale swoop at Dadwen and Hwidiem following recent attacks by people involved in Illegal mining or Galamsey.
According to authorities, the operation forms part of efforts to arrest suspects behind the violent incidents, in line with President John Dramani Mahama’s assurance that perpetrators of these attack will be brought to book.
The President made the assurance while speaking at the 29th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards on November 8.
The swoop took place in the early hours of Wednesday, November 12, with several suspects rounded up for screening.
TV3 reporter William Evans Nkoom, who joined the security team in Dadwen, recounted the details of the operation.
Speaking on TV3 on November 12 and monitored by NewsDesksGH, he narrated, “It was yesterday that I had a message from the police to join a team of police and military officers but we were not told where this operation was going to be conducted.”
“At 2am we left and by the route I realized maybe we would be heading towards Dadwen. Lo and behold, Dadwen was the destination,” he narrated.
Describing the scale of the exercise, he added, “I can tell you that this was a full-scale swoop, many men picked. About 120 behind me, suspects that have been picked.”
According to him, the suspects have been assembled at a police training school for screening.
“They’re going to screen; those that are suspected to have been involved in that attack will be made to face the law,” he stated.
Nkoom also disclosed that the dawn swoop was not limited to Dadwen, as similar operations were conducted at Hwidiem.
“The Hwidiem team just arrived,” he said during the live report, as suspects from that operation were also being lined up for screening.
He revealed that the joint operation was led by the Director-General of Operations at the Ghana Police Service, COP Dr. Sayibu Gariba, and the Director-General of Legal and Prosecutions, COP Dwamena.
On November 1, a National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) task force, along with military officers, was attacked at Bronikrom, near Hwidiem, in the Ahafo Region.
The team had intercepted illegal miners, arrested several suspects, and seized equipment and vehicles when a mob of about 600 people stormed the Hwidiem Police Station demanding the release of the suspects.
The mob vandalized the NAIMOS director’s vehicle and damaged parts of the police station, threatening to burn it down.
On November 6, a joint team from the Environmental Protection Agency, journalists, and security personnel was attacked at Dadwen near Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.
The group was inspecting an illegal mining site where three excavators had been found in a diverted river.
The team was then approached by heavily built men in black uniforms. Realizing they were outnumbered and could not exchange fire, the officials and journalists fled the scene.
During the escape, one of their vehicles collided head-on with a truck carrying galamsey pipes, leaving several journalists injured.
A Multimedia cameraman suffered a broken thigh and was later taken to hospital for surgery.
