The Koforidua Circuit Court B has granted 14 suspected illegal miners bail each in the sum of GHC350,000 with two sureties, with one to be justified with movable property.

The suspects were arrested on May 15 for illegally mining at Akyem Muoso in the Eastern Region by the Eastern South Regional Police Command.

At the time of the arrest, police retrieved a pump action gun from one of the suspects, Zuberu Nuhoho, who failed to produce documentation for the weapon.

Two excavator control boards were also retrieved from the mining site.

The accused persons were arraigned before the Koforidua Circuit Court B on May 16.

In relation to the security agency's fight against illegal mining, a total of 208 suspects have been arrested, and 99 excavators, 3 bulldozers, 4 pump-action guns, 3 single-barrel guns, 1 pistol, 11 changfangs, and several other exhibits, including vehicles, motorbikes, tricycles, generators, gold detectors, and pumping machines have been retrieved by the Police.

In a special anti-galamsey operations at Samreboi, along the Tano River, Wassa Dunkwa, Tigarikrom and surrounding communities in the Western Region, the Police arrested 58 suspects comprising 50 Ghanaians and 8 Chinese in connection with illegal mining activities and retrieved 85 excavators and 3 buldozers.

Similar anti-galamsey operations were carried out by various Regional Police Commands across the regions as follows:

The Western Regional Police Command has arrested 19 suspects and retrieved 3 excavators and 3 pump-action guns, among other exhibits.

The Upper West Regional Police Command arrested 7 Ghanaian suspects and retrieved 11 changfangs and 3 motorbikes, among other exhibits.

The Eastern South Regional Police Command Region has arrested 24 suspects, including one Burkinabe and retrieved 5 excavators, 3 single-barrel guns, and one pump action gun, among other exhibits.

The Western Central Regional Police Command arrested 85 suspects, comprising 76 Ghanaians and 9 Chinese, and also retrieved 11 excavators and other exhibits.

The Eastern North Regional Police Command also arrested 15 suspects, including one Chinese and retrieved 4 excavator control boards, 9 monitors, and one pistol among other exhibits.