We have heard about the death of a suspected galamsey operative; the first such casualty since the military offensive against illegal mining commenced. While it is regrettable that Operation Vanguard has claimed a life, we nonetheless would want to tell the recalcitrant persons in the ranks of the illegal miners that the game is over. They had better succumbed to the superior state order to lay down their tools and look elsewhere rather than engage in unproductive firefights.