10/3/2025
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is moving fast to clean its house after two of its own were arrested for attempting to rob a mining site. The military brass has issued a strong warning: any soldier found culpable in the alleged galamsey-related crime will face the law like any other citizen.
The incident is still murky, but what is clear is that two uniformed soldiers and two civilians were taken into police custody earlier this week for their alleged involvement in an attempted robbery. The target was Longshine Mining Company Limited in Obouhu, a suburb of Prestea in the Western Region.
And... the sight of uniformed personnel being escorted into a police van has sparked major public concern about security forces being involved in criminal activity, especially around illegal mining. You feel the sting of betrayal when the people meant to guard the vault are the ones trying to break in.
Navy Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, the Acting Director General of Public Relations for GAF, confirmed the arrests and stated on Thursday evening that the army is actively collaborating with the police to get to the bottom of the allegations. The GAF will not "shield its personnel involved in criminal activities," she stressed (Per Graphic Online, October 2, 2025).
But this is not the first time GAF has had to deal with this headache. Over the years, there have been recurring reports of military personnel being implicated in either protecting illegal miners or, worse, participating in extortion and robberies at galamsey sites.
Yet, this latest and very public commitment to allow the full legal process to proceed, without military interference, is a critical step. It signals that the military is taking the allegations seriously as the fight against illegal mining, or galamsey, continues to test the integrity of national institutions.
Will this firm stance finally deter other service members from trading their uniforms for illicit gold?
You can watch a brief report on the arrest of the soldiers for alleged mining site robbery in the video below: How Soldiers Were Arrested for Alleged Mining Site Robbery || Turbo Declares NDC Can't Stop Galamsey. This YouTube video provides context on the arrests of the soldiers involved in the alleged mining site robbery.
Source: https://citinewsroom.com/2025/10/soldiers-arrested-in-galamsey-robbery-wont-be-protected-gaf/
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzZhc2D8hlk