Three(3) Chinese illegal miners including a female and two(2) Ghanaians have been arrested in Atiwa West Municipality in the Eastern region.
The illegal miners were arrested during the weekend whilst mining with excavators destroying the vegetation and polluting the Birim river.
Their mining equipment was confiscated. The accused have been arraigned before Koforidua Circuit Court and remanded.
Eastern Region is one of the mining regions in Ghana Chinese sneaking to engage in illegal mining.
Dozens of these Chinese illegal miners have been arrested in the last five years but only three have been imprisoned.
As part of the fight against the menace, Chief Justice designated the Koforidua High Court 3 and Circuit Court B, to deal with illegal mining cases in the region.
Recent statistics by the Eastern Regional Office of the Attorney General Department headed by Chief State Attorney Mrs Emily Addo-Okyireh detailed that, a total of 187 illegal miners charged in 48 cases have been convicted and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment in the Region since 2017.
The 187 convicted persons include 29 nationals of Niger, seven Nigerians and three Chinese.