Ghana's wildcat gold mining booms, poisoning people and nature

* Ghana's wildcat gold mining booms, poisoning people and nature Gold prices surge, luring more men to illegal mines * Industry contributes to economy but endangers miners * Public anger over poisoned water, destroyed forests * Gangs, powerful people profiting, say industry experts By Maxwell Akalaare Adombila PRESTEA-HUNI VALLEY, Ghana, - At an unlicensed gold mine in Ghana, men in t-shirts, shorts and rubber boots wade through pools of muddy water laced with mercury, pull out rocks with bare hands and operate a rickety sluice as they search for the precious ore. The unlicensed gold mining industry, known in Ghana as "galamsey", has grown at a breakneck pace this year as global gold prices have risen by almost 30%, enticing new entrants. POISONED PROFITS Martin Ayisi, head of Ghana's Minerals Commission, the mining industry regulator, said most galamsey gold was smuggled out of the country and was therefore not contributing to national gold export revenues. Chris Aston, head of a British-backed programme aimed at regulating small-scale gold mining in Ghana, said artisanal miners were vulnerable to organised crime gangs, who provide them with funding for equipment up-front, unlike other lenders.