Charles Bissue
The return of Chinese galamsey Queen Aisha Huang to Ghana after her deportation or repatriation in December 2018 is the usual mode of operations for Chinese Nationals.
According to Charles Bissue, former secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, the striking resemblance of the Chinese made it difficult to recognize deportees who find their way back into the country.
He noted in an interview with Joynews that “We are talking about her [Aisha Huang] because she has resurfaced but for some time I realised that you know the Chinese look alike. You arrest them and they resurface. At a point, at the Inter-Ministerial office we had our own fingerprint machine so that they are not recycled for us. A lot had to go into that”.
Charles Bissue further recounted how some Chinese illegal miners were arrested and deported, only to show up after sometime by using different routes into the country.
“There was a situation where we arrested certain Chinese and then they come back. At some point I was looking at them and I was not sure so we went to the extent if having a fingerprint machine and so when the security people arrest them we check that and keep record before we hand them over to immigration and police so that we had a data,” he added.
Aisha Huang is currently standing trial with three other Chinese nationals namely Jong Li Hua, Huang Jei and Huaid Hai Hun on two counts; mining without a valid license and engaging in the sale and purchase of minerals without a permit.