A taskforce of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has raided the western part of the Atiwa West District in a quest to halt indiscriminate destruction of farmland, forests, and severe pollution of water bodies through illegal mining activities.
The operation conducted on February Saturday focused on several illegal mining sites within the Larbikrom enclave and Dompem.
At Larbikrom, several illegal miners were observed fleeing the site upon the approach of the NAIMOS team. During the operations, the task force intercepted seven excavators used by the Galamseyers to cause extensive devastation to the cocoa farms, lands and water bodies.
Due to the immediate unavailability of lowbed services, the task force immobilised the 7 excavators in situ to prevent their further use for the illegal mining activities.
The team removed essential components, including four (4) Control boards, three (3) monitors, and one (1) Fuse box from the equipment.
A thorough search of the area and makeshift structures at the site led to the discovery and seizure of one (1) pump-action shotgun, one (1) locally manufactured pistol, and twelve (12) pump-action gun cartridges.
Subsequently, the task force destroyed through burning several water pumping machines, water hoses, gold trapping carpets, makeshift structures and other illegal mining equipment found at the site.
Meanwhile, the NAIMOS Equipment Technicians were made to use the excavators found at the site to locally reclaim some deep gullies and pits at the site before immobilising the machines.
Dompem Operation
Later in the day, the task force extended its mission to Dompem, also located within the Atiwa West District.
Although the illegal miners had fled upon the task force’s arrival, the team again discovered one (1) XCMG excavator and two (2) CAT machines at the site.
Similar to the previous site, the task force immobilised the machines by removing the control board of the XCMG excavator and monitors from the CAT machines, to ensure the machinery was rendered inoperable.
The task force again destroyed all other illegal mining equipment and items left behind by the illegal miners.
“The NAIMOS task force remains poised to continue the current raids against reckless illegal mining currently happening along rivers, in forest reserves and the usage of dangerous chemicals such as cyanide and acids to degrade the environment,” it said in a statement.
It furthered, “While NAIMOS flush out and stops the illegal mining activities in the areas, the respective local administrative, security and intelligence agencies would also concurrently intensify their oversight and monitoring responsibilities to prevent the return of the Galamseyers to the areas.”
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Source:
opemsuo.com