The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), working in collaboration with the Blue Water Guards, has intensified Ghana’s fight against illegal mining with a major operation in the Western Region.
In a coordinated 48-hour enforcement exercise over the weekend, the task force dismantled extensive illegal mining infrastructure along the Ankobra River and in the Tarkwa Nsuaem and Wassa Akropong districts. The operation disrupted the activities of organised criminal networks and led to the seizure and destruction of key equipment across multiple sites.
More than 80 chanfan machines and 50 makeshift boats were destroyed on the Ankobra River, while several foreign nationals involved in the illegal operations were arrested. Excavators, water pumps and other mining equipment at illegal land-based sites were also immobilised.
The intervention has halted ongoing pollution of major water bodies, protected farmlands and sensitive ecosystems, and prevented further encroachment on public infrastructure.
NAIMOS has announced plans to establish a permanent security presence in the affected areas to consolidate the gains made and ensure the long-term protection of Ghana’s natural resources.
