Wa East: Soldiers grab 14 suspected illegal miners, burn equipment at Manwe

A dawn military operation at Manwe, a mining community in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region, has led to the arrest of 14 foreign nationals suspected to be engaged in illegal mining (galamsey).

Mining equipment belonging to the foreign nationals and their places of residence were also reportedly burnt during the operation.

The Assembly Member for the Manwe Electoral Area, Ali Mohammed, added that a “Kia truck and some motorbikes were burnt as well,” he said.

He further complained that some indigenes of the community also lost their properties during the operation.

“Some machines used in grinding these stones belong to the indigenes, and they were also burnt.”

“Some people rented a house in the community, belonging to one of our members. That house was also destroyed.”

—citinewsroom