Detained Chinese miners in Ghana released   

(ECNS) -- All 124 Chinese miners detained by the Ghana Immigration Service on charges of illegal gold mining were released Saturday.

The Ghanaian authorities also promised to release on Monday another 45 gold miners held in the prison of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), the Chinese embassy in Accra confirmed on its website Sunday.

The embassy urged all Chinese gold miners to leave the country by air as soon as possible. Chinese nationals holding passports or return air tickets are allowed to depart directly for China. Those who have lost their passports can apply for a return certificate at the embassy starting June 10.

Ghanaian authorities have promised to suspend all raids outside mining sites and to provide assistance to Chinese miners who intend to leave the country.

Since May 14, the Ghanaian government has launched a number of clean-up actions against illegal mining activities in the country.

Its law-enforcement team has targeted those behind the sale and transfer of mining permits and land to foreigners.

A total of 169 Chinese citizens suspected of illegal mining have been arrested in the clean-up as of June 6.