Monrovia –In collaboration with the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), the Ministry of Mines and Energy has arrested two foreign nationals—Jack Chen, a Chinese national, and Obed Burikoney, a Ghanaian commonly known as “Kwemie”—for engaging in illegal mining activities in Tuzon, Sinoe County.
The Ministry’s Compliance and Enforcement Team discovered the individuals operating a semi-mechanized mining site using excavators, while relying on a Class ‘C’ Mining License—a clear violation of the Mineral and Mining Law of Liberia, which prohibits such industrial-scale operations under that license category.
The suspects have been turned over to the Liberia National Police detachment in Greenville, Sinoe County. They will be processed by the Ministry’s Investigative Board before being forwarded to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution in accordance with mining laws and regulations.
Meanwhile, the Ministry’s enforcement team also visited the Atlantic Mineral Company’s Heavy Mineral Sand (HMS) processing site in Morgan Community, Greenville. Investigations revealed multiple violations, including the absence of a required Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining benefits to the host community. The company was also found employing foreign nationals from Vietnam without valid immigration documentation.
The Atlantic Mineral Company operates three HMS plants in the area, each equipped with several cyclone units for processing. Despite the scale of its operations, the company has failed to contribute any meaningful support or benefits to the local community where it operates.
Minister of Mines and Energy, Hon. Wilmot Paye, emphasized that the ongoing compliance operations are part of a broader strategy to sanitize the mining sector. “We are committed to removing individuals and companies that flout regulations, degrade the environment, and deny the country much-needed revenue for national development,” Minister Paye said.
Further updates from the Ministry’s enforcement efforts in the southeastern region will be provided in the coming days.
