Environmental security arrests violator in King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve

On Thursday, September 4, 2026, the Rapid Response Unit of the Forestry Commission in Ghana made a dawn operation inside the Atewa Range Forest Reserve to tackle illegal mining, also known as “galamsey”. Twelve suspects were apprehended, while others fled into the surrounding forest. The joint operation involved personnel from Assin Fosu, Akim Oda and Juaso Forest Districts, deploying at 1:30 am.

The 12 suspects, ranging from ages 18 to 32, were seized in the Sagyimase community within Compartments 61 and 62 of the Atewa Forest Reserve. Items recovered from the site included five motorbikes, shovels, water hoses, blankets for washing gold, and three gallons of petrol. The suspects, identified as Pagase Lord, Kwabena Joe, Zinivi Kofi, Michael Owusu, Narh Joseph, Sanoma Emmanuel, Abugart Daniel, Apam Kwesi, Affum Gideon, Adu Richmond, Isaac Ababio, and Abass Osuman, have been turned over to the Kyebi District Police Command for investigation and potential prosecution.

The remaining three motorbikes were kept at the Kyebi District Office of the Forest Services Division for safekeeping. In a statement, the Forestry Commission emphasized the operation's successful completion without casualties and its role as a deterrent for illegal mining in forest reserves. The Atewa Range Forest Reserve, a key biodiversity hotspot and critical watershed, supplies water to millions of Ghanaians, including those in Accra.

The reserve has faced significant threats from illegal mining and logging in recent years, prompting the Forestry Commission to maintain its efforts in combating such activities.