Pentecost Elder busted in NAIMOS operations at mining sites at Morso

Unannounced operations of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) last Thursday, along the Kume River, across Kyekyebiase and Bimma and Morso, in the Asante Akyem South district have led to the arrest of Elder David Peter Bobie of the Konongo branch of the Church of Pentecost.

Elder Bobie claims he is a foreman of an illegal small scale mining site operating at Akyem Morso, near Juaso in the Asante Akim South District of the Ashanti Region. He was apprehended when he came to nose around and confirms the presence of NAIMOS in the area on the instructions of his boss, one Mr Appiah.

Elder David Bobie Peter led the NAIMOS Task force to his mining site at Morso, where the full scale of the destruction under his foremanship became pronounced, as the environment had massively been degraded with the Kume River heavily polluted.

He is helping the Konongo District police in their investigations and prosecution.

During the operation, NAIMOS Task force came across dozens of youth engaged in illegal mining at Kyekyebiase, built upon seeing the task force fled in all directions, abandoning their mining equipment to escape lawful arrest.

The task force members were was left with no other option than to dismantle eight Chanfang machines and four (4) wooden gold washing platforms, several pipe hoses and set them ablaze, with 12 water pumping machines seized as exhibits.

In a further swoop in the surrounding bushes, a Sany Excavator was traced to a cocoa farm to evade detection.

The NAIMOS team, however, detached oil pump and other vital components of the excavator to render the machine completely useless.

NAIMOS has cautioned all persons engaged in galamsey against the reckless illegal mining activities assuring that it remains resolute in its mandate to bring offenders to book irrespective of their social standing, religious office or political affiliation.

The Secretariat further called on all local administrative authorities, traditional rulers, intelligence agencies and security services across the affected districts to intensify their monitoring and enforcement commitments to forestall further degradation of the environment within their respective jurisdictions.

Meanwhile, residents of the Morso enclave have praised NAIMOS for swift response to their call to intervene in the wanton destruction of the environment and pollution of the river and water bodies in the area.

The post Pentecost Elder busted in NAIMOS operations at mining sites at Morso appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.

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