Ghana's artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector is expanding rapidly-mostly outside legal oversight.

This growth is driven by limited job opportunities and the promise of quick income, but is increasingly linked to environmental destruction, foreign involvement, and organized criminal networks. A new report based on three years of research and satellite analysis, reveals how unlicensed mining is intensifying in regions like Western and Savannah, and why enforcement efforts remain weak.

Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Marcena Hunter, Director of Extractives at Switzerland based Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.