The Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have jointly conducted an operation across three regions to fish out perpetrators of heinous crimes against security officers and journalists.
The operation, which started on Wednesday dawn, is aimed at arresting identified persons, a statement from GAF said.
The statement, signed by Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, the Acting Director General for Public Relations, said these individuals were involved in the recent attacks on members of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations (NAIMOS) team, some police officers and officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as journalists on official assignments.
The towns undergoing the operation are Dadwene and Anwonlma in the Ashanti Region, Hwediem, Kenyase, Goaso and Marhani in the Ahafo Region and Ehi in the Volta Region.
“The Armed Forces and Police Service warn that any individual or group that attempts to obstruct the operations of any of the security services in their anti-galamsey operations or in the performance of any other lawful duty, will face the full force of the law,” the statement said.
The police and military assured the general public that adequate measures have been put in place to ensure the safety and security of well-meaning inhabitants of the towns and communities under lockdown.
“They are encouraged to remain calm and go about their regular duties without fear or panic.”
The operation comes after some security personnel including soldiers were attacked by youth in some of these towns.
In Hwediem, it took the intervention of a Zongo chief to save the NAIMOS taskforce from being lynched.
At Dadwene, some illegal miners attacked EPA officials, chasing them out of galamsey sites.
A vehicle carrying some journalists was plunged into an accident in the pursuit by illegal miners, leaving some injured.