A joint police and Forestry Commission team arrested 16 armed men accused of preventing officials from accessing the Asenayo Forest Reserve to clamp down on illegal mining. The suspects were allegedly armed with pump‑action guns, machetes and talismans during a confrontation with the security team.
The incident followed several weeks of surveillance by the Nkawie District Office of the Forestry Commission, led by District Manager Abraham Essel. According to the Commission, illegal operators had invaded a section of the reserve at Afipaye and moved two excavators and a bulldozer into the forest under the guise of undertaking reclamation.
A 16‑member Rapid Response Team, drawn from Mankraso, Bekwai and Nkawie, was deployed to the area on Monday, 31 August. The team managed to arrest four suspects, but other armed men allegedly overpowered the officers and forcibly freed them. Mr Essel said the team was subsequently forced to retreat due to the security threat.
After the retreat, a joint police‑Forestry Commission reinforcement team returned on Thursday, 3 September. The operation led to the arrest of 16 suspects after another confrontation. Mr Essel said the men resisted arrest and were carrying weapons and talismanic items. A policeman sustained a facial injury during the clash.
Forestry officials also questioned claims by one Richmond Osei that he had authorisation from the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council to undertake reclamation inside the reserve. The Forestry Commission and the Environmental Protection Authority reportedly had no information about such an authorisation. Officials said the operation initially appeared to be a reclamation exercise outside the reserve but later extended into Compartment 202, where they alleged mining was taking place.
The 16 arrested suspects have since been taken to the Ashanti Regional Police Headquarters for profiling.
