The Nkawkaw Divisonal Police Command in the Eastern Region has arrested a suspect claimed to be a National Security officer, Victor Ataba, 38, with nine others operating an illegal mining at Kofi-Dede in the Kwahu-West Municipality on Wednesday morning.
The suspects, Yaw Boakye, 51, linguist from the village community; Bright Ofori, 32, Kwabeng; Isaac Afuakwa, 42, Kumasi; Roland Njuah, 51, Kumasi; Kofi Nti, Anyinam; Alhaji Ahmed, 54, Kwabeng; Stephen Gyimah, 38, and Kojo Boateng from Kumasi were busted upon a tip-off.
The police also managed to retrieve a herd of slaughtered sheep, some bottles of schnapps, among others items, which were used for performing rituals at the site.
A police source told DAILY GUIDE at press time on Wednesday that “their outfit, led by Superintendent Jeffery Darko, the acting Nkawkaw Divisional Police Commander, had a tip-off that the National Security operatives and a top security officer in Kumasi, name not yet mentioned, acquired a land from the chief of Kofi-Dede to operate illegal mining in a forest of five miles away from the village community.”
The source added that Victor Ataba on Tuesday evening, together with the others, towed an excavator to the site, where they were advised by the chief (currently on run) and his linguist (also in police custody) to perform the necessary rituals on the site in order to pave way for the illegal miners to embark on their operations.
“When we had the information, so the commander quickly dispatched us to the site. We got there and saw them busily working at the site, so we apprehended them and have caged them at the cells assisting investigations,” the police source hinted.
Upon further police interrogation, the National Security officer revealed that he was tasked by a certain ‘big man’ to supervise the operations at the mining site.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Kwahu-West Assembly, Yaw Owusu Addo, when contacted by DAILY GUIDE confirmed the incident, explaining that he has tasked the police to fast-track investigations into the matter and process the culprits to the law court for trail.
The police have commenced investigations and the suspects will be arraigned before the Nkawkaw Magistrate Court today for trial.
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