A/R; Nyamebekyere residents detail galamsay torment, demand more arrests after three busted:
Residents of Nyame-Bekyere, a suburb of Atwima Nwabiagya North, are detailing the devastating impact of illegal mining on their lives, citing gun violence, water pollution, and land degradation as daily realities.
Following the recent arrest of three suspected galamsayers, the community is demanding further action and harsher penalties to deter future exploitation.
“We can’t get water to drink or forest to farm!” one resident exclaimed, highlighting the profound disruption caused by the illegal miners. “Thorough prosecution and severe punishments are the only way to stop these criminals from harassing us.”
The community’s outrage comes after the arrest of two Ghanaians and a Chinese national in a joint operation by NDC executives and security officials at Nyame-Bekyere in the Atwima Nwabiagya North Municipality. Residents who expressed relief over the arrests revealed shocking incidents of violence, including instances where illegal miners allegedly fired gunshots, forcing the entire town to flee into the surrounding bushes.
“They shot and injured some people, forcing others to flee into the bushes, simply because we complained about their indiscriminate activities,” a resident recounted.
The arrests have also ignited a firestorm of controversy, with allegations emerging that Michael Kwadwo Peprah, who reportedly identifies himself as the deputy director of Goldbod, dispatched the arrested miners to the site. Community members are now calling for Peprah’s immediate arrest, accusing him of exploiting his position to facilitate and profit from illegal mining operations.
“This guy is a criminal,” one resident asserted. “He’s been a key figure in this galamsay mess, deploying people to sites, extorting money, and then pretending to fight the problem. He needs to be arrested; otherwise, this fight will never end.”
The residents maintain that Peprah has a long history of involvement in illegal mining and believe his arrest is crucial to ending the destructive practice.
The three individuals apprehended remain in police custody.
