Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has called for Stronger cooperation between the judiciary and the Ghana Immigration Service to tackle crimes involving foreign nationals.
Chief Justice said this during a visit to the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Samuel Basintale Amadu. According to him, the rise in crimes with cross-border elements had prompted the judiciary to adopt targeted measures, including the creation of specialised courts to fast-track cases related to illegal mining, known locally as galamsey.
He said the growing involvement of foreign nationals, especially Chinese citizens in illegal mining activities had become a major concern and could no longer be overlooked.
“Some of the ways of dealing with the crime of the day are the creation of a special force,” Baffoe-Bonnie said.
He noted that while illegal mining is not traditionally considered a cross-border crime, the foreign actors involved give it an international dimension.
The Chief Justice questioned how foreign nationals were able to enter Ghana and operate openly in illegal mining communities across the country.
“We cannot close our eyes to the fact that the Chinese have invaded our galamsey sites,” he said, adding that foreign nationals were involved in supplying equipment and purchasing gold in mining areas. “They are not conjured; they are from China, so how do they get here or enter our borders?” he asked.
Beyond illegal mining, Baffoe-Bonnie pointed to other crimes linked to foreign nationals, including cybercrime and narcotics trafficking, and said closer collaboration among immigration authorities, law enforcement agencies and the judiciary was critical to addressing them.
He said a coordinated and intelligence-driven approach would help strengthen border controls, safeguard national security and ensure the swift prosecution of offenders, whether Ghanaian or foreign.