The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has carried out a targeted nighttime operation against illegal mining activities along the Ankobrah River at Ayiem Juabo in the Amenfi Central District of the Western Region.
The operation, conducted on Wednesday night at about 8:30 p.m., followed intelligence reports of active illegal mining upstream that had severely polluted the river. Acting on the information, NAIMOS field officers stormed an illegal mining camp situated directly on the riverbank with the aim of halting the destructive activities and safeguarding the water body.
Seven suspected illegal miners were arrested during the operation. They include Numbor Kwasi Musah, 16; Benja Nakura Abdul-Wahid, 15; Kombate Indabre, 20, who was found with a Ghana Card bearing the name Kombate Damban but denied ownership; Mawuli Boni, 29; Justice Mensah, 40, from Alavanyo; Bright Kwasi Nkrumah, 35; and Kwabena Lambon, 30.
The taskforce also seized several items used in the illegal mining operations, including nine water pumping machines, mining trays and pans, charms, and mobile phones. All makeshift structures at the galamsey site were dismantled, while equipment found on site was destroyed to prevent a resumption of illegal activities.
The suspects have been handed over to the Ayiem Juabo Police Station to assist with further investigations and possible prosecution. The seized pumping machines have been transported to the NAIMOS headquarters in Accra for safekeeping and further action in accordance with established procedures.
As part of its broader strategy to combat illegal mining, NAIMOS has begun implementing plans to permanently deploy field officers to high-risk galamsey areas to significantly reduce response times to reported activities. The forward deployments are expected to support sustained, intelligence-led operations and increase the frequency of both daytime and nighttime enforcement actions.
NAIMOS reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining constant pressure on illegal mining networks and protecting Ghana’s water bodies and forest reserves through continuous field presence and rapid-response operations.
