Liberian authorities have intensified enforcement efforts in the mining sector, arresting two foreign nationals for operating an illicit semi-mechanised mining site in Sinoe County.
The arrests of Jack Chen, a Chinese national, and Obed Burikoney, a Ghanaian known locally as “Kwemie”, highlight growing concerns over unregulated foreign involvement in Liberia’s natural resource sector. The pair were found using heavy machinery while operating under a basic Class ‘C’ licence—permitted only for small-scale manual mining—violating clear provisions of the country’s Mineral and Mining Law.
The enforcement campaign also uncovered serious regulatory breaches by the Atlantic Mineral Company, a major player in heavy mineral sands extraction in Greenville. Government inspectors found that the firm had failed to secure a Memorandum of Understanding with the host community, effectively sidelining local stakeholders. In addition, several Vietnamese workers at the site were found to be without valid immigration status, raising broader questions about labour oversight and immigration compliance in the extractives sector.
Minister of Mines and Energy, Wilmot Paye, stressed that these actions form part of a wider governmental push to clean up the mining industry, boost legal compliance, and ensure that foreign operators contribute to Liberia’s national development. As the government ramps up scrutiny in resource-rich southeastern regions, expectations are mounting that future enforcement will extend not just to individual operators, but to larger corporate entities whose practices have long evaded full accountability.