The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Squad (NAIMOS), currently conducting operations in the Western Region, has seized a cache of weapons and destroyed several illegal mining facilities following massive raids across parts of the Ahanta West Municipality.
At about 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, the taskforce raided an illegal mining site at Agonakrom within the Ahanta West Municipal Assembly. The miners were found operating in a stream that flows into the Hwin River. The team burnt several water pumps and pipelines laid along the stream to curb further contamination.
Later, around 9:25 a.m., the taskforce moved to another illegal mining site popularly known as Agenda 111 at Mpohor and its environs—approximately 200 meters from a site designated for a hospital under the government’s Agenda 111 project. The miners had diverted portions of the Butre River within a palm plantation to conduct mining operations. However, they fled upon spotting the taskforce vehicles.
Two (2) Sany excavators found at the site were immobilized and moved to the Mpohor District office after their monitors and control boards were removed. Three (3) water pumping machines were also confiscated. Explosives discovered at the site were safely disposed of by an explosives expert attached to the taskforce.
Additionally, several makeshift structures, old water pumps, hoses, and chanfang machines used for water mining were destroyed on-site.
Following intelligence, the taskforce traced the suspected miners to their residence, where they seized:
7 pump-action guns
12 BB cartridges
1 32-inch television set
3 radios
1 control board
1 gray unregistered Toyota Hilux pickup
3 water pumping machines
The operation continued along the Butre River flow line, where several more makeshift structures and pumping machines belonging to local miners within the Mpohor District were destroyed. The team later extended the operation to the Mpohor Fiase area, focusing on illegal activities along the Butre River.
It was generally observed that most illegal mining sites in the area had been deserted due to the presence of the NAIMOS taskforce.
NAIMOS has announced plans to sustain and expand its operations across Ahanta West and adjoining districts to ensure that all water bodies are free from illegal mining activities.
