Mr Mike Hammah, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, last Tuesday directed the Police to confiscate the equipment of illegal miners at Bisicheim in the Western Region.
The directive forms part of measures to stop illegal miners (galamsey operators) from depleting the forest reserves and polluting water bodies.
He gave the order to the Police Commander in the Prestea Huni/Valley District, Deputy Superintendent of Police Ben Wonkyi, when he and some members of the Minerals Commission toured some illegal mining sites at Prestea.
Consequently, some equipment including a tipper truck and seven excavators were seized.
The illegal miners, who were at work at the Golden Star Bogoso Prestea Limited�s (GSBPL) concession, ran into a nearby bush when the operators of the machines were asked to hand over the keys.
Mr Hammah expressed worry about the kind of heavy machines the illegal miners were using.
He said illegal mining had become a national crisis and traditional rulers needed to assist the government to curb by not leasing stool lands to individuals who mined haphazardly.
Mr Hammah said judges and prosecutors needed to be engaged on the issue in view of the threat it posed to the future of the country, adding that the government would ensure that PNDC Law 218, which is against mining without license, was enforced.
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