Illegal Gold Panning: Six Suspects Arrested in Hambol During 'Green Net of the North' Operation

During an operation against illegal gold panning, six suspects were arrested in the Hambol region on September 2, 2026. The operation, conducted by the Special Surveillance and Intervention Brigade (BSSI), resulted in the seizure of three excavators, motorcycles, mobile phones, and the dismantling of a clandestine camp in the classified forest of Kanagonon. The suspects, five of Burkinabe nationality and one Ivorian, are accused of illegal mining activities and the use of mercury.