The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has stepped up its nationwide anti-galamsey operations, recording significant achievements in two major coordinated missions carried out on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, in the Western North and Ashanti Regions.
In the Western North Region, the NAIMOS Task Force intercepted a group of armed miners operating deep within the Tano Anwia Forest Reserve in the Aowin District. Several suspects, including a Chinese national believed to be the excavator operator, were arrested. The operation led to the confiscation of four pump action guns, twenty-two cartridges, and three buckets containing a black substance suspected to be mining material. The arrest marks a major breakthrough in efforts to dismantle armed mining syndicates operating within forest reserves.
The task force later advanced its operations to the Boin River Forest Reserve in the Enchi District, continuing its efforts to clear illegal mining activities in protected areas.
In the Ashanti Region, the task force conducted simultaneous raids in the Asante Akim and Juaso districts. Acting on intelligence, officers moved into the Asuboa Mponua area of Asante Akim, where six excavators were discovered. Two were found unserviceable while the remaining machines were immobilized. A heavy-duty water pumping machine, several hoses, fuel containers, and a wooden shelter were destroyed, while a generator set was seized.
The operation further extended to the Praakwa Forest Reserve in the Juaso District, where illegal mining was ongoing along the Pra River. The task force destroyed six mining boats, washing platforms, and other equipment, and arrested about eight illegal miners.
These coordinated actions underscore NAIMOS’s commitment to protecting Ghana’s natural resources and eliminating illegal mining across the country.
