Police arrest 16 at Gbane mining site, recover ammunition and suspected drugs

Sixteen people are in police custody after a joint security operation at the Gbane mining site in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region.

The operation took place on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, according to a statement from the Upper East Regional Police Command. Police teams arrested ten suspects. A separate team from the 11 Mechanised Battalion arrested six more and handed them over to police in Bolgatanga.

The police operation involved the National Police Intelligence Directorate, the Upper East Regional Police Intelligence Directorate, the Special Operations Team known as Black Cobra, and the Tongo District Police Command.

What was recovered

• From the police operation: 104 live AA cartridges, 37 wraps of suspected Indian hemp, 12 mobile phones, seven body armours, seven security-style uniforms, two pepper sprays, four torchlights, a knife, a weapon bag and a set of walkie-talkies.
• From the military operation: two pump-action guns and 105 live AA cartridges.

The statement was signed by Chief Inspector Abdul-Raman Sumaila of the Command’s Public Affairs Unit. It said the suspects are assisting investigations and will be put before court. Patrols are continuing in the affected communities to keep the peace.

Gbane has long been one of the most active small-scale mining areas in the Upper East. The haul of body armour, communication sets and ammunition points to a level of organisation beyond informal mining.

It is not the first violent incident at the site. In June 2025, illegal miners at Gbane confronted Minerals Commission officials with gunfire.

TheSavannaOnline will follow the case as it goes to court.

Source: A1 Radio, Upper East Regional Police Command.