Eight individuals suspected of posing as national security operatives have been arrested by police for allegedly robbing illegal miners of gold, cash, and mobile phones at Assin Awisam in the Central Region.
The suspects, one of whom is reportedly the son of a Municipal Chief Executive, are said to have stormed the community on Friday afternoon in a black Mitsubishi pick-up truck with registration GS 8293-18 and a Toyota Voxy.
According to reports, the group conducted an operation during which they seized valuables from miners, including an unspecified quantity of gold, cash, and mobile phones.
Their actions sparked outrage among residents, who accused the group of repeated extortion under the guise of state security operations. Some community members confronted the suspects, deflated the tyres of their vehicles, and attempted to lynch them.
The situation was, however, brought under control by community leaders, who intervened and handed the suspects over to the police in Awisam.
Tensions remained high following the arrests, as angry youth besieged the police station, prompting the Assin North Regional Police Command to deploy reinforcement. The suspects were later transferred to Assin Foso under tight security.
During preliminary interrogation, the suspects reportedly admitted taking some mobile phones but denied stealing gold.
All eight suspects are currently in police custody, assisting with investigations.
A youth leader in the area, George Anokye, told Citi News that the incident was not isolated, alleging that the same group had been harassing miners over time.
According to him, the suspects had previously extorted money from miners and, in one instance last year, allegedly set ablaze a water pumping machine belonging to a miner after he failed to meet their demands, despite reportedly paying GH¢120,000.
He warned that continued incidents of suspected extortion disguised as anti-galamsey operations risk escalating tensions in the community if swift action is not taken by authorities.
Source: myjoyonline.com
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