A joint anti-illegal mining operation led by the Forestry Commission has resulted in the arrest of 21 suspected illegal miners—11 Chinese nationals and 10 Ghanaians—at the Yakombo Forest Reserve in the Savannah Region.

The swoop, carried out on December 2, 2025, was executed by 51 personnel made up of forest guards from the Buipe and Bole Forest District offices of the Forest Services Division, supported by three Rapid Response teams.

The suspects were apprehended in Compartments 50 and 51 of the reserve, located near Tuntumba in the Bole-Bamboi District.

The Chinese suspects have been identified as:

Tang Shao Qi, 28

He Peng, 40

Zhou Qin Sar, 25

Wu Xu, 39

He Chuang Ye, 45

Cheng Lin, 40

Long Xi, 32

Yang Gesheng, 51

Zhang Hongzhaojie, 34

Zhou Peng, 39

Wu Yujie, 24

The 10 Ghanaian suspects provided their names as:

Alhassan Yakubu

Daniel Mba, 33

Pious Kwabena, 20

Emmanuel Amankra, 40

Seidu Suleman, 44

Sampson Akawuni, 22

Thadeus Gideon, 27

Mohammed Salim, 21

Mohammed Kanamu, 25

Saaka Yakubu, 22

During the operation, officials also impounded several heavy-duty machines believed to have been used for illegal mining activities.

The seized items include:

One Toyota Hilux and two Great Wall pickup trucks

Three Howo tipper trucks

One Man Diesel low-bed truck carrying an excavator

All 21 suspects have been handed over to the Damongo Regional Police Command for further investigations and prosecution. The confiscated vehicles and machinery have been moved to the Mole National Park, under the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission.

The Yakombo Forest Reserve, established in 1974, is the largest forest reserve in Ghana, covering approximately 1,210 square kilometres.

Authorities say the latest operation reflects an intensified effort to protect the reserve from destructive mining activities threatening its ecosystem.