In their recent overnight operation, soldiers of the Armed of Liberia (AFL) have arrested 28 individuals.
The individuals were arrested for “engaging in illegal mining activities at Camp America, a site situated within the Sapo National Park in Sinoe County.”
They were arrested around 11:00 p.m. on Monday, February 22, during a routine patrol the soldiers were conducting to secure the country’s largest remaining tropical rainforest. Military authorities say the operation forms part of ongoing efforts to prevent a resurgence of unlawful activities in the protected reserve.
First Sergeant Abraham Leaman, disclosed on Tuesday, February 23, that the suspects were apprehended by AFL personnel, and subsequently turned over to the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) for administrative processing.
On further details, Sapo National Park’s Chief Park Warden, John G. Smith, commended the joint operation between park authorities and the military.
He said, the army has maintained a steady presence in the park since being deployed to remove “illegal miners and unauthorized settlers from the conservation area.”
Smith: “The suspects are expected to be transferred to the Liberia National Police for investigation, and possible prosecution under the environmental protection laws.
The government, acting through the Ministry of National Defense, previously deployed troops to the Kojaryee-Wacaba District, one of the primary access points to the park, as part of a broader crackdown on “illegal mining and encroachment.”
While authorities recently declared the park largely “free of unlawful occupants” following the eviction of thousands of illegal miners and settlers, the AFL has reaffirmed its commitment to maintain security in the area to protect biodiversity and prevent future illegal operations.
By Anthony Dahn