Twelve people have been arrested for allegedly engaging in illegal mining that damaged part of an active railway line linking Takoradi, Akyem and Nsuta in the Western Region, officials said on Monday.

Reports say the arrests were made during an operation led by Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson, who was accompanied by National Security officers.

The suspects were reportedly caught at the site when the team arrived.

The Regional Minister confirmed the arrest while speaking in an interview on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Chief Jerry Forson on Accra 100. 5FM  on Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Authorities say about three kilometres of the 60-kilometre rail line have been destroyed, disrupting manganese haulage and other operations of the Ghana Railway Company.