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THE WANTON activities of illegal miners in some communities in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region have assumed an alarming dimension. The Illegal miners, popularly known as galamsey at Zongoire, are now excavating graveyards in search for the precious mineral. This is complete disrespect for the dead, but they are not worried over their conduct. To stem the tide, the Bawku West District Security Council (DISEC) held a meeting with the Regional Police Command recently and took a decision to visit the mining site and arrest the miners. The exercise was carried out on Tuesday, this week, where 34 illegal miners, some of whom have turned the site into their permanent abode were arrested. In an interview, ASP Christian Dogbatse, said the suspects would be screened and those found culpable would be charged for undertaking small scale mining without license. He warned sub-chiefs in the area, who he said were conniving with the miners by selling land to them to prospect for gold to desist from the act or face the full wrath of the law. The DCE, Mr. Simeon Agbango, said the assembly would support the Police with the needed logistics to flush out the illegal miners. According to him, the assembly had called a meeting and informed leaders of the illegal miners to register their members with the Minerals Commission, but some of them refused to do so and continued to mine illegally. The DCE has meanwhile appealed to the Minerals Commission to decentralize its operations in the districts, where illegal miners are operating to make it easy for them to regularize their activities. The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr. Moses Adu-Pan, on his part said over 500 trees have been destroyed at Zongoire alone. On the alleged involvement of some sub-chiefs who sold land to the miners, the PM said the assembly would draw the attention of all chiefs in the area to seek their collaboration in dealing with the menace.