The Forestry Commission has arrested 21 individuals, including 11 Chinese nationals and 10 Ghanaians, during a major anti-illegal mining operation in the Yakombo Forest Reserve, Savannah Region. The operation was conducted on December 2, 2025, and involved 51 personnel from the Buipe and Bole Forest District offices of the Forest Services Division, alongside three Rapid Response teams.
The intelligence-led operation targeted illegal mining activities in Compartments 50 and 51 of the reserve, near Tuntumba in the Bole-Bamboi District. Authorities seized several vehicles used in the illicit operations, including a Toyota Hilux, two Great Wall pickup trucks, three Howo tipper trucks, and a Man Diesel low-bed truck carrying an excavator.
The Chinese suspects arrested are 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), and Wu Yujie (24). The Ghanaian suspects include 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), and Saaka Yakubu (22).
All suspects have been handed over to the Damongo Regional Police for further investigations and prosecution. The seized equipment has been deposited at Mole National Park under the management of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission.
The Yakombo Forest Reserve, established in 1974, is Ghana’s largest forest reserve, covering approximately 1,210 square kilometers. The operation underscores the Forestry Commission’s ongoing commitment to combating illegal mining and protecting Ghana’s forest resources.
