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Scores of residents of Apremdo in Sekondi-Takoradi in the Western Region over the weekend halted illegal alluvial mining in River Whindo. The residents chanted war songs and thronged the place where some Chinese were undertaking mining in the River, which served as their main source of drinking water. They seized their machines used for the mining and handed them over to the Kwesimintsim Police although no one was arrested. The Chief of Apremdo, Nana Egya Kwamina the eleventh, who was accused by the residents of Apremdo for granting permission to the Chinese denied the allegations. The chief said the permission to the Chinese might have been granted by some of the members of the royal family, and assured that the matter would be dealt with accordingly. Western Region is noted for its numerous natural resources including gold, diamond, manganese, and bauxite as well as petroleum resources. However, the activities of illegal miners popularly called �galamsey� had degraded the natural environment with occasional trapping of illegal miners underground mining pits resulting in the death of some miners.