A policeman has tragically drowned in the Offin River in the Central Region while participating in an anti-galamsey operation at Assin Asaman.
According to reports, the officer, identified as Constable John Kwabena Dogbe, drowned on Wednesday morning.
After a four-hour search, his body was recovered from the river.
The incident occurred during a swoop conducted by the Central North Regional Police Command as part of ongoing efforts to combat illegal mining, or galamsey, in the region.
Galamsey activities have been severely damaging the environment, causing widespread land degradation and contamination of water sources in the Central Region and beyond. To address this growing issue, the police launched the operation, focusing particularly on illegal activities along the Offin River.
While attempting to seize and destroy mining equipment, such as changfang machines and water pumps, Constable Dogbe slipped and tragically fell into the river, where he drowned.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.