The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has carried out a major anti-galamsey operation within the Nkawie Forest Reserve in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region, destroying changfang machines and disabling four excavators hidden by illegal miners along the Offin River.
The operation, which took place on Friday, 1 May 2026, followed intelligence reports about ongoing illegal mining activities within the forest reserve. A NAIMOS taskforce moved into the area to assess the environmental destruction caused by the miners and to clamp down on the unlawful activities threatening the reserve and nearby water bodies.
According to preliminary findings, the illegal miners had concentrated their operations along the Offin River, a major tributary that has suffered severe pollution and environmental degradation due to galamsey activities. The arrival of the taskforce forced the miners to abandon the site and flee into nearby bushes to avoid arrest.
During the operation, officers recovered one pump action gun and five live cartridges abandoned at the site. The taskforce also seized eight water pumping machines used in the illegal mining process. In a move to completely disrupt operations, operatives destroyed all water hoses connected to the mining pits and set three wooden gold washing platforms ablaze.
Additionally, five changfang machines, widely known for causing serious destruction to Ghana’s rivers and water bodies, were burnt by the taskforce. NAIMOS explained that the destruction of the equipment was intended to impose heavy financial losses on the illegal operators and prevent them from quickly resuming activities in the area.
The operation further led to the discovery of four excavators concealed in dense thickets near the mining site. Investigators noticed fresh excavator tracks leading into the bushes where the machines had been hidden by fleeing operators. NAIMOS technicians removed critical components, including three control boards and four oil pumps, to permanently immobilise the excavators and took the parts into custody.
NAIMOS reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Ghana’s forest reserves and water bodies from illegal mining activities. The Secretariat stressed that no part of the country would serve as a safe haven for environmental destruction, warning that it would continue to pursue offenders until the nation’s natural resources are fully protected.
