A violent confrontation between illegal miners and members of the Special Anti-Galamsey Task Force in Bonteso, Amansie South District, Ashanti Region, on Tuesday, August 13, 2025, left two police officers injured and resulted in the arrest of four suspects — including the Assembly Member for the area.
According to police reports, the clash began when the task force, during a routine patrol against illegal mining activities, discovered an excavator in active operation at an unauthorized site. The officers moved in to seize the heavy machinery, initiating the process of loading it onto a truck for transport to the Manso Adubia Police Station.
Eyewitnesses say that as the operation progressed, a group of miners mobilised and confronted the officers. The group, allegedly encouraged by the local Assembly Member, Patrick Asare, resorted to violence in an attempt to prevent the confiscation of the excavator. Officers came under a barrage of stones and other projectiles, while members of the crowd issued open threats of physical harm.
The situation escalated further when two individuals within the mob allegedly brandished pump-action shotguns and fired warning shots in the direction of the officers. In the ensuing chaos, ASP Bawah Abdul Jalil and G/Sgt. Agblekpe Mawuena Yao sustained injuries to the head, mouth, and legs.
Tensions peaked when the miners blocked all exit routes, effectively trapping the officers at the scene. The task force reported that live ammunition was fired at them, prompting what they described as the use of “appropriate force” to break the blockade and ensure their safety.
By the time order was restored, four individuals — Akwasi Amponsah, Osei Vasco, Patrick Asare, and Alexander Owusu — had been arrested. The seized excavator was transported to the Manso Adubia Police Station, although a second piece of equipment was left behind due to the intensifying threat of violence.
The suspects remain in police custody and are expected to be transferred to Accra for further investigations and subsequent prosecution. Police authorities have condemned the attack, describing it as a dangerous attempt to obstruct justice and undermine the government’s anti-galamsey campaign.
Meanwhile, security officials have vowed to step up patrols in Bonteso and other mining hotspots in the Amansie South District, stressing that assaults on law enforcement will not deter the fight against illegal mining.
