Mr. Michael Pentsil, Assistant Regional Manager, Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission, on Friday said the spate of illegal mining activities particularly in forest reserves across the country was worrying.
He told the GNA in an interview that the perpetrators of such illegal activities were causing harm to the ecology and endangering forest species as well.
His worry comes in the wake of the arrest of four suspected illegal miners in the Nueng South Forest Reserve at Tarkwa Nsueam Municipality.
He called for urgent mitigating measures to deter individuals from engaging in the act.
Mr. Pentsil gave the names of those arrested as Rose Mark, the financer, Kobinan Kessie, Emmanuel Kwao and Amoako Martin believed to be excavator driver and translators respectively.
He said the Forestry Commission, upon a tip-off, followed up with a team of police personnel and arrested them.
Mr. Pentsil said the incidence of illegal mining especially in forest reserves had increased and thereby causing serious harm to Ghana’s forest reserves which called for immediate attention from all stakeholders.
“The Commission together with Regional Coordinating Council is devising strategies aimed at flushing out people who engage in illegal activities in our forest reserves”, Mr. Pentsil said.