Over 100 illegal miners on Friday evening protested the arrest of their colleagues by a joint team of police, immigration and national security officers in Obuasi, more than 200 km northwest of here.

The illegal miners were arrested in early on Friday for encroaching on concessions of giant gold miners AngloGold Ashanti Company Limited, according to a broadcast on Citi Fm, a private radio station here.

The miners, who staged the protest at the entrance of the mining company, reportedly took hostage of a number of vehicles belonging to the mining company.

They have vowed not to suspend protesting until their colleagues were released, compelling the police to fire tear gas canisters to quell the demonstration.

"If they want us to end our demonstration, they should release our colleagues," a charged leader of the protestors who pleaded anonymity, said.

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