A 32-year-old man suspected to be an illegal miner has drowned in an abandoned pit after trying to flee from the anti galamsey task force in Achiase- Atuntuma in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region.

The deceased whose name has been given as Ronald Kortey was said to have been running for cover when an anti-galamsey taskforce led by the DCE of the area, Hon. Isaac Kofi Marfo led some military men in an operation to clamp down on illegal mining in the area.

The Atwima Mponua District Chief Executive, Hon. Isaac Kofi Marfo, led some Military Anti Galamsey Task Force made up of about 20 men with some cladded in Military Uniforms in four vehicles including the Official Vehicle of the District Chief Executive and stormed Achiase -Atuntuma Mining enclave on an operation.

According to the Police, in the course of events, five of the men cladded in Military Uniforms with A K 47 assault rifles aboard a Land Rover vehicle with the inscription Anti-illegal Mining Task Force fired gunshots indiscriminately and in the process, seven young men who were then mining illegally in an abandoned mining pit within the vicinity ran for their lives.

Six of the men in the pit managed to swim out but Ronald Kortey drowned Police and the search team combed the entire area but did not find his body on Saturday, 17th September.

The search team with divers continued the search on Sunday 18th September where they found the remains of the 32-year-old man.