Ghana detains over 100 suspected illegal Chinese gold miners

Mining News  |  2013-06-06 08:15:58   |   By

Around 124 illegal Chinese mine workers were arrested in the capital city of the West African country of Ghana

ACCRA (Scrap Monster) : Around 124 illegal Chinese mine workers were arrested in the capital city of the West African country of Ghana. Those detained were involved in illegal mining activities in the central Ashanti region, eastern region and western regions.

The President of the Republic of Ghana had earlier announced that illegal mining operation is costing the country millions of dollars. It also has lead to violence and has proved to be dangerous for the environment. The Government has been conducting thorough raids throughout the country to snatch illegal miners. It has formed a ‘task force’ to fight the menace of illegal gold and diamond mining. It is reported that there are nearly 5000 illegal miners in the country, mostly from China.

The Ghana Immigration Services (GIS) has declared that a few of those arrested were not possessing legally valid documents. The Ghana authorities declared that the detained persons would be repatriated as per the existing rules of the country. The Chinese Embassy has confirmed the arrests and is reported to be in touch with the Ghana officials to ensure that the legal rights of its citizens are met with.

Ghana is Africa’s second largest gold producer. The country is also a major producer of diamond, bauxite and manganese. The country has 23 large-scale mining companies and hundreds of small-scale mining companies. Ghana’s economy depends largely on gold exports.