On Friday, October 2, 2026, the Jema Anti‑Galamsey Advocacy (JAGA) Watch Committee arrested three men suspected of illegal mining in the Tano‑Boin Forest Reserve. The suspects were found operating a water‑pumping machine and a changfang mining raft along the bank of the Tano River. One of them tried to escape by swimming across the river, but committee members pursued and apprehended him.
After the arrests, the men were handed over to the Jema Police Station and later transferred to the District Police Command at Enchi. Because the Enchi Magistrate and Circuit Courts lack substantive judicial officers, the suspects were taken to the Assankragwa Magistrate Court, where they were remanded for one week.
JAGA praised District Commander Chief Superintendent Mensah of the Enchi District Police Command for ensuring the suspects were brought before a court. The organisation also informed the Forestry Commission’s Enchi and Wiawso offices, which arranged transport for the suspects and covered operational expenses incurred during the operation.
JAGA highlighted the need for sustained enforcement against illegal mining in protected forest reserves and called for greater collaboration between community watchdogs and state institutions. The organisation urged the Attorney General, the Chief Justice, security agencies, the Judiciary, politicians, traditional leaders and local communities to support law enforcement and ensure transparent proceedings. It also appealed to the media and international environmental organisations to follow the case closely.
JAGA contrasted this case with a prior arrest of two Nigerien nationals last year for mining in the Jema‑Assemkrom Forest Reserve, noting that those suspects were later granted police bail and little progress had been made. The latest arrests reinforce the importance of proceeding through appropriate legal and judicial channels.
