10 Illegal Miners Arrested for Digging Under High-Tension ECG Lines at Jacobu
Police in Jacobu have arrested 10 suspected illegal miners for allegedly operating beneath high-voltage ECG pylons
- Police in Jacobu arrested 10 suspected illegal miners for operating directly beneath high-tension ECG power lines
- Authorities say the mining activities threatened electricity supply to Obuasi and nearby areas
- The suspects have been charged with undertaking mining operations without a license and are expected to appear in court
Ten suspected illegal miners have been arrested by police at Jacobu in the Ashanti Region for allegedly carrying out mining activities directly beneath high-voltage electricity pylons, posing a major threat to power supply in the Obuasi enclave.
The suspects were arrested on April 29, 2026, during a routine patrol by officers from the Jacobu District Police Command led by Chief Inspector Prince Asante along the Asikasu-Obuasi Highway.
According to a police situational report, the officers found the group actively mining under ECG high-tension poles after they had already dug deep trenches and excavated land dangerously close to the electricity structures.
Police say the illegal activity exposed both the suspects and nearby residents to the risk of electrocution while also threatening the stability of the electricity transmission network serving Obuasi and parts of the Amansie area.
Authorities warned that any damage to the pylons could have caused widespread power outages across the enclave.
The suspects, aged between 28 and 58, include Amadu Salifu, Obeng Emmanuel, Isaac Opoku, Madi Akurugu, Munkaila Konlan, Abdul Razak, Alex Owusu, Eric Agyei, Gordon Ampong and Kofi Opoku.
They have since been charged for undertaking mining operations without a valid license.
Sources indicate that the accused persons are expected to make their first court appearance on Thursday as investigations continue.
The arrests form part of ongoing efforts by security agencies to clamp down on illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, which continues to threaten both the environment and critical national infrastructure across the country.
