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Josiah Pailay/ +231881913880/+231775260307/ [email protected]
Bleh Village, Zota District: Grave environmental and public health concerns have emerged in Bong County following the alarming discovery of illegal gold mining activities in Bleh Village, where foreign nationals have been using hazardous chemicals without proper authorization.
The Liberia National Police (LNP) Crimes Services Division in Bong County confirmed on Tuesday the arrest of Harouna Ouedraogo, 44, and Barchezu Sorie, 42, both of the Mourie tribe, on May 6, 2025.
The individuals face multiple charges under Liberian law, including Fraud against the Internal Revenue of Liberia, Criminal Conspiracy, and Theft of Property, as stipulated in Sections 15.80, 10.4, and 15.51 of the Revised Penal Code of Liberia.
Authorities revealed that the suspects were apprehended while actively engaged in illegal gold mining operations in Bleh Village, Zota District, where they had been mining since December 2024, reportedly in the company of at least 12 accomplices.
During a crime scene investigation, law enforcement discovered unregistered mining equipment and hazardous chemical substances that pose significant risks to both the environment and public health.
In their statements to investigators, the suspects claimed to have received permission from an individual named Paul, who allegedly accepted USD 1,000 in exchange for a one-year mining permit. They also asserted receiving verbal approval from a local leader identified as Chief Bleh.
Law enforcement has identified Paul, Chief Bleh, and Hamilton Suahlon as persons of interest and is actively seeking their whereabouts for questioning and potential prosecution.
Assistant Superintendent James Kartoe, head of the Crimes Services Division in Bong County, emphasized that local collusion was essential for the suspects to access such remote areas. He noted ongoing efforts to apprehend fewer than a dozen Liberians implicated in facilitating the illegal mining activities, withholding their names to safeguard the investigation’s integrity.
Assistant Superintendent Kartoe underscored the ecological strain evident in the mining area, stressing, “The unregulated use of chemicals poses severe risks, particularly in remote regions where residents rely heavily on natural water sources for drinking, agriculture, and domestic purposes.”
Superintendent Madam Loleyah Hawa Norris of Bong County has urged immediate intervention by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ministry of Lands, Mines, and Energy, and the Ministry of Health in response to the escalating environmental hazards.
In a press statement on Monday, May 5, 2025, Superintendent Norris called for comprehensive soil and water testing in and around Bleh Village to assess the extent of chemical contamination and potential long-term ecological damage.
Expressing deep concern, Mr. Lassanah Dukuly, CEO of the Community Development Research Agency (CODRA), warned about the environmental consequences of unauthorized gold extraction processes involving substances like mercury and cyanide. These chemicals are notorious for their toxicity and persistent effects on aquatic ecosystems and human health.
“This issue transcends illegal mining; it’s about environmental justice and safeguarding rural livelihoods,” emphasized Mr. Dukuly, a prominent environmental advocate in Bong County.
“We are facing risks of soil degradation, contaminated water sources, and a looming public health crisis if immediate action is not taken,” he added.
Authorities in Bong County affirmed ongoing investigations, emphasizing the need for further assessments to ascertain the full extent of environmental damage and guide appropriate responses.
Meanwhile, Superintendent Norris urged community members to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious environmental activities to law enforcement authorities.
A growing network of criminal cartels involved in illicit mining is posing a severe threat to Liberia’s fragile ecosystem, with alarming signs that environmentally protected areas across the country could be ravaged if decisive action is not taken. As illegal extractive operations expand into forest reserves and biodiversity hotspots, experts warn that Liberia’s natural heritage and rural livelihoods may soon face irreversible damage.
While Liberia’s mineral wealth has long been viewed as a key driver of economic development, it has also attracted a dangerous undercurrent of illicit activity. Criminal syndicates—often operating with local collaborators and corrupt facilitators—are exploiting weak regulatory oversight, porous borders, and under-resourced enforcement agencies to conduct illegal gold and diamond mining across remote regions of the country.
According to a 2024 report by the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI), illegal mining has been reported in nearly all mining-prone counties, with Bong, Gbarpolu, Nimba, Grand Cape Mount, and Rivercess emerging as hotspots. Alarmingly, much of this illegal mining is taking place within or near ecologically sensitive zones, including forest reserves and conservation corridors.
