NAIMOS to maintain permanent security presence in illegal mining hotspots

Ghana’s Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, says the fight against illegal mining has recorded a major breakthrough following a coordinated enforcement operation in the Western Region.

In a statement issued on Monday, 19 January, the Minister said the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), working in collaboration with the Blue Water Guards, carried out a 48-hour crackdown over the weekend targeting illegal mining activities along the Ankobra River and within the Tarkwa Nsuaem and Wassa Akropong districts.

According to Armah-Kofi Buah, the operation dismantled extensive illegal mining infrastructure across multiple sites, dealing what he described as a decisive blow to criminal syndicates operating in the area.

He disclosed that security personnel destroyed more than 80 chanfan machines and 50 makeshift boats used for illegal mining activities on the Ankobra River. The operation also led to the arrest of foreign operators and the immobilisation of excavators and pumping equipment at illegal mining sites on land.

The Minister said the intervention has halted immediate pollution of water bodies, protected surrounding farmlands and ecosystems, and prevented further encroachment on public infrastructure.

Armah-Kofi Buah added that NAIMOS is taking steps to establish a permanent security presence in identified hotspots to sustain the gains made and ensure long-term protection of Ghana’s natural resources.

“The tide is turning in our relentless fight against illegal mining,” the Minister said, reaffirming government’s commitment to safeguarding the country’s waterways and mineral-rich lands for future generations.