A large-scale joint operation involving the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service has been launched in several parts of the country to track down individuals responsible for recent assaults on state officials engaged in the fight against illegal mining.
The operation targeted communities such as Hwediem in the Ahafo Region, where members of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) came under attack, and Dadwene in the Ashanti Region, where the Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and her entourage were assaulted while on official duty.
Security sources confirmed that the coordinated exercise, which began in the early hours of Wednesday, November 12, 2025, also covered areas including Anwona and Dadwene in Ashanti, Ehi in Volta, and Kenyase, Guaso, and Marhani in Ahafo. The operation was described as intelligence-led and specifically aimed at rounding up all those linked to the violent incidents.
The Armed Forces and Police have cautioned that any attempts by individuals or groups to interfere with security operations or obstruct lawful duties will be met with strict enforcement measures.
The raids follow two separate incidents involving violent confrontations between anti-galamsey operatives and illegal miners.
The first occurred in the Ashanti Region, where an EPA task force, led by its CEO and accompanied by journalists, came under attack at Dadwene near Obuasi. Their vehicle reportedly collided head-on with a truck during an attempt to escape the site after illegal miners armed with weapons overwhelmed the accompanying security detail. Several journalists and EPA staff sustained injuries in the process.
Prior to that, a NAIMOS team led by its Director of Operations was assaulted in the Ahafo Region on November 1, 2025. The officers had responded to intelligence about active illegal mining near Branikrom, where they arrested several miners, including a Burkinabe national.
The team later encountered individuals claiming to be connected to Defence Intelligence and the mining site owner. During a search, ammunition, cash, and mobile phones were retrieved. Tensions escalated when the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, allegedly arrived at the location with a group demanding the release of the arrested persons.
These developments have raised concerns about the growing resistance to anti-galamsey operations, prompting the military-police task force to launch a widespread clampdown to restore order and ensure the safety of enforcement teams across the affected regions.
