Authorities discover massive operation after opening up shipping containers: 'We … need to know those who are behind this'

The Environmental Protection Authority of Ghana seized 14 containers of illegal mining equipment at Tema Port in February, MyJoyOnline.com reported.

What's happening?

Kenneth Ashigbey, the convenor of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, called for more action.

"We definitely need to know those who are behind this. We should not allow people to hide behind claims that the equipment is for agriculture," he said to JoyNews Pulse.

Changfang, or changfan, machines are sometimes used in mining operations, and officials found them in the 14 seized containers. As Citi Newsroom reported, the EPA banned them from the country last year to discourage illegal mining activities.

Why is illegal mining concerning?

Officials have made certain mining practices illegal because of their impact on people's health and that of the environment.

MyJoyOnline stated that illegal mining in Ghana, also known as galamsey, is linked to water pollution and environmental harm. That means fewer people have clean water to drink. Overall, pollution from mining can contaminate communities' air and soil as well.

Young people in Ghana and across the Ghanaian diaspora, mostly in Canada and the United Kingdom, have been speaking out, the BBC noted. Israel Derrick Apeti, also known as Enil Art, has even used water from a polluted river to raise awareness.

"What is art for?" Apeti said, adding that the water was "once so clean that you could see the fish and crocodiles that lived in it."

People in Ghana are losing beautiful sights and their communities' well-being because of greed for gold and other minerals.

This harmful behavior isn't limited to Ghana, however. Canadian mining company Barrick Gold dumped waste with cobalt concentrations up to 7,011% over the legal limit into Hedley Creek in British Columbia. And a court in Colombia ruled in favor of Indigenous people after gold mining caused mercury contamination in 30 communities.

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What's being done about illegal mining?

Ashigbey emphasized that legal remedies should target people who import and pay for illegal mining equipment instead of on-the-ground operators. He also encouraged increased monitoring at Ghana's ports.

A farmer who asked for anonymity also said that the people who control illegal mining should be the ones held responsible.

"When I see arrests by the military in poor communities, it's just a symbolic gesture of appearing to maintain law and order. The people making big money out of it are in offices, not on the field," she said.

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