About 66 illegal miners have been arrested in a joint military and police operation at the Tilli Forest Reserve in the Upper East Region.
The operation, carried out on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, aimed to clamp down on illegal mining activities threatening the forest’s ecosystem.
Among the arrested suspects are two Burkinabes, 26 Togolese, and 38 Ghanaians.
The Tilli forest is one of the biggest forest reserves in the Upper East Region, where some of these illegal miners are engaging in illegal mining activities, deteriorating the forest ecosystem.
The forest also contains wildlife species like elephants and other organisms that depend on the forest ecosystem for survival.
Speaking to the Upper East Regional Minister, Akamugri Donatus Atanga, after the arrest, he stated that the operation was motivated by the paramount chief of Sakote, who called on him to help curb the situation in that area.
