The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operation Secretariat (NAIMOS) has arrested an alleged galamsey kingpin and disrupted illegal mining activities along the Fanoma River in the Suaman District of the Western North Region.
The operation took place on Friday, 1 May 2026, at about 11:00am, following intelligence gathered by the NAIMOS task force based in Enchi regarding ongoing illegal mining activities within the river body.
According to reports, the illegal mining activities were allegedly being led by Mr. Nicholas Ackah. The Fanoma River, which serves as a tributary to the Tano River, was said to have suffered severe environmental destruction due to the illegal operations being carried out directly in the river.
Acting swiftly on the intelligence, the NAIMOS patrol team stormed the mining site and arrested Mr. Ackah during the raid. The team also seized four motorbikes believed to have been used in the illegal operation. The suspect together with the seized items has since been handed over to the Ghana Police Service at Enchi for further investigations.
In addition to the arrest, the task force destroyed and burned several illegal mining equipment found at the site. The destroyed items included six Changan machines and four water pumping machines used in the galamsey activities.
NAIMOS has reiterated its commitment to intensifying operations against illegal mining activities across river bodies and forest reserves within the Western North Region in order to protect the environment and preserve water resources for future generations.
