Ben TC Brooks |River Gee County Correspondent
Grand Gedeh County – May 25, 2025 – The Ministry of Mines and Energy has halted all artisanal and small-scale mining operations in Tchien, Grand Gedeh County, following the discovery that miners were utilizing heavy machinery for Class ‘C’ mining activities.
The use of equipment by small-scale miners violates the Minerals and Mining Law as well as the regulations that govern Liberia’s mining sector.
The Compliance Enforcement Team from the Ministry reported that eight excavators found in the Tchien Mining District, five were being operated for Class ‘C’ mining at the Bentley, Golo, and Papa Hill mining camps.
Investigations revealed that the small-scale miners in Tchien District were able to access these excavators through a rental and profit-sharing arrangement with unidentified Indian nationals based in Zwedru City.
In response to these violations, the Compliance Enforcement Team not only issued closure orders to the illegal miners but also confiscated the keys to the excavators involved.
Edited: Jesefu Morris Keita| Editor-In-Chief
