The Anambra State Police Command has taken into custody a Chinese national accused of engaging in illegal mining activities in Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area of the state.
The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Mu Hua Qiang, was handed over to the police by operatives of the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA Brigade) on the evening of Friday.
According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the transfer was effected through the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka.
Ikenga explained that the suspect’s arrest followed reports linking him to unauthorized mining operations in the Aguleri axis, a community increasingly vulnerable to unregulated extractive activities.
He said, “The suspect has already volunteered his statement to investigators and has been placed in lawful custody as part of ongoing inquiries into the matter. Further developments will be communicated in due course.”
The arrest underscores growing concerns over illegal mining in Anambra State, a practice authorities warn poses environmental, security, and economic risks.
While the OCHA Brigade has intensified operations against unlawful activities across the state, the police command assured residents that it would sustain collaboration with local security outfits to curb crimes threatening public order.
Illegal mining involving foreign nationals has become a recurring issue in several states across Nigeria, often linked to land degradation, revenue loss, and community unrest.
The Anambra State Government has repeatedly cautioned against such practices, pledging to strengthen enforcement of mining regulations in line with federal laws.