Officers of the joint police-military force tasked to fight illegal small scale mining – popularly known as galamsey – have touched base in their respective regions.
The 400-membership taskforce was deployed from Accra on Monday.
They are to combat galamsey in the Western, Eastern and Ashanti regions, where the effects of the illegal mining activity have been intensely felt.
The contingent to the Eastern Region will operate from Osino, 3news.com gathers, while that for the Western Region will operate from Tarkwa.
Konongo will host personnel in the Ashanti Region.
The operations dubbed ‘Operation Vanguard’ will last 12 months, according to the Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Speaking on TV3’s Midday Live on Tuesday, Colonel Emmanuel Aggrey Quarshie said the officers will be at post throughout the entire duration of the Operation.
He said minimal force will be used where there is retaliation from the miners.
Col Aggrey Quarshie had told TV3 once that if need be more officers will be deployed to other regions.
There has been renewed fight to curb the canker since the assumption of office by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Minister of Lands and Natural Resources John-Peter Amewu has personally been to some sites to stop the activities of illegal miners.
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