The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) Task Force has stepped up its operations in the Western Region with a raid on illegal mining sites along the Ankobra River, Kamei Stream, and Abrodiem in the Nzema East Municipality.
According to the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, on Tuesday, October 7, 2025 there was an operation as part of efforts to restore the Ankobra River and nearby communities affected by galamsey.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the Task Force destroyed and seized several items, including one excavator, seven changfangs, and 88 water pumping machines. About 100 makeshift structures believed to have been used as shelters and workstations were also burnt.
In a post on Facebook, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said other items recovered from the sites included three gas cylinders, three shovels, four plastic chairs, two water hoses, a DSTV dish, a generator set, and a pickaxe.
The latest raid came two days after a similar operation at Aboso in the Prestea-Huni Valley District on Sunday, October 5, 2025, where suspects were arrested and equipment destroyed.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu stated that the government would continue with the anti-galamsey drive, stressing that NAIMOS was determined to stamp out illegal mining and restore order in resource-rich areas.
The Ankobra River, one of Ghana’s major water bodies, has in recent years been heavily polluted by illegal mining. Officials say Tuesday’s raid formed part of broader efforts to protect water sources and reclaim degraded lands in the Western Region.
