A 24-hour joint operation to combat illegal mining in forest reserves across the Ashanti Region has been launched, led by Captain (Retired) John Kwame Jabari, the acting Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, in collaboration with the Forestry Commission.
The move follows an attack on a member of the Forestry Commission’s rapid response team on Sunday, March 23, 2025, prompting heightened security measures to prevent further destruction of natural resources.
Captain Jabari, speaking on Monday, March 24, 2025, outlined the new strategy, which includes day and night patrols to counter illegal miners who operate under the cover of darkness.
“We have realized that some of them started mining in the evening; during the daytime, they pack their machines. In the night, they go and operate, so we are also going to operate a 24-hour exercise so that we will also tackle them in the night,” he stated.
He added that the task force would have separate teams for day and night operations, ensuring continuous surveillance of the affected areas.
To provide tangible proof of the progress made in reclaiming mined areas, Captain Jabari disclosed that the Forestry Commission and media representatives would soon be taken on a tour of the forest reserves.
“I must also stress that within the next week, we are going to invite the media with the Forestry Commission and go around the forest reserves with the media to show them the forest reserves that we have reclaimed so that it will be vivid evidence and not a social media war,” he emphasized.
The initiative aims to increase transparency in the fight against illegal mining while ensuring that efforts to restore affected lands are well-documented and publicly acknowledged.
By Najat Adamu