- Security forces have intensified operations against illegal mining in Ghana, with coordinated raids across the Ashanti and Western regions.
- Over the weekend, multiple excavators were seized, 12 suspects arrested, and dozens of chanfang machines destroyed.
- The crackdown, led by police, military, and national security personnel, aims to dismantle galamsey networks and protect critical ecosystems.
- Officials say illegal mining has already devastated thousands of hectares of rubber plantations and continues to threaten water bodies and forest reserves.
Ghana’s fight against illegal mining surged over the weekend as security forces launched sweeping operations across the Ashanti and Western regions, targeting forest reserves, riverbanks, and cocoa farms.
In Ashanti, the Special Anti-Galamsey Task Force extended its reach to Juaso, where intelligence pointed to foreign nationals operating deep within the Dwendwenase Forest Reserve. Upon arrival, suspects fled, abandoning two excavators. One was immobilized, but the other was successfully transported for safekeeping. A third machine, hidden in a nearby cocoa farm, was also impounded after technical teams managed to restart it despite deliberate sabotage.
Meanwhile, in the Western Region, a joint force of police, military, and national security operatives stormed illegal mining sites in Adiewoso and Tettrem. Twelve suspects, including one woman, were arrested. The team seized tricycles, a motorcycle, and destroyed 25 chanfang machines used for river dredging.
Further south, in Nzema East, the Blue Water Guards and NAIMOS task force dismantled 50 additional chanfang machines, along with generators, pipelines, and makeshift shelters along the Ankobra River. These structures had served as hideouts and operational bases for miners who often retreat and return when enforcement wanes.
The environmental toll is staggering. Illegal mining has encroached on rubber plantations owned by Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL), with over 6,000 hectares and more than 2,000 trees destroyed. Yields have plummeted, and the Western Regional Coordinating Council has flagged the situation as critical.
Officials say the crackdown is far from over.
