Chairman of Small Scale Miners Association Arrested for Obstructing Anti-Galamsey Operation in Desiri Forest Reserve
The Chairman of the Small Scale Miners Association, Mr. Kojo Peprah, has been arrested by the Special Anti-Galamsey Task Force under the directive of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for allegedly obstructing an operation to flush out illegal miners in the Desiri Forest Reserve, located in the Ashanti Region.
Mr. Peprah is said to have confronted the special team deployed to the forest, demanding justification for their presence and mission within the reserve. The intervention, according to police sources, was an attempt to disrupt the ongoing crackdown on illegal mining activities, commonly known as “galamsey,” in the area.
Explaining his actions, Mr. Peprah claimed he had received information that the task force had invaded a mining site under his supervision within the forest reserve. He insisted his intention was to protect what he believed to be legitimate small-scale mining operations.
However, the police clarified that by law, no small-scale mining licenses permit operations within forest reserves, raising concerns about the activities of miners in the Desiri enclave. Authorities pointed out that the legal framework governing small-scale mining expressly prohibits such operations in protected forest areas.
Recent data from the Forestry Commission has identified the Desiri Forest Reserve as the most critically affected among 44 forests currently under siege by illegal miners. The reserve has been classified as a “red spot,” highlighting the severity of environmental degradation caused by unregulated mining activities.
Mr. Peprah has since been handed over to the Nkawie Divisional Police Command to assist with ongoing investigations.
The operation forms part of renewed government efforts to clamp down on galamsey activities, which continue to threaten Ghana’s water bodies, forests, and biodiversity despite years of enforcement interventions.
