Residents of Dadwen and Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region woke up to an intense police operation on Wednesday, November 12 as a heavily armed team stormed the two towns in a coordinated dawn swoop ordered by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
The large-scale operation, part of a broader anti-crime crackdown, led to the arrest of hundreds of men suspected of involvement in recent violent assaults on officers of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Anti-Illegal Mining Taskforce (NAIMOS).
Police insiders say the arrests follow two separate incidents earlier this month. On November 1, a NAIMOS team enforcing anti-galamsey directives near Bronikrom was attacked after apprehending illegal miners and seizing firearms, ammunition, two unregistered vehicles, and mobile phones.
Tensions escalated when the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, reportedly confronted the taskforce at the scene.
Days later, an EPA enforcement team led by Chief Executive Professor Nana Ama Brown Klutse was ambushed by illegal miners at Dadwen near Afari.
The team had gone to the area to clamp down on the sale and manufacture of chanfan machines used in illegal mining.
In the ensuing chaos, their vehicle crashed while attempting to flee, leaving several people injured, including two journalists who remain in critical condition.
The arrested suspects are being transported to Kumasi for thorough screening to identify those directly linked to the twin attacks, which authorities describe as “brazen assaults on state enforcement efforts.”
Police have assured that calm has been restored in both communities as investigations continue.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Justice Isaac Bediako
