Ten suspected illegal miners have been arrested during a joint operation by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), the Ghana Army’s Northern Command and the Ghana Police Service at Kpali, near Gbinyiri, in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region.

The operation, conducted between August 25 and 27, 2026, followed a reconnaissance exercise on August 19 that confirmed reports of illegal mining activities in the area.

The suspects comprise three foreign nationals and seven Ghanaians who were allegedly found actively engaged in mining at the site.

The security team also discovered significant environmental damage caused by the activities.

Among the items seized were two excavators, three excavator monitors, a Toyota Hilux vehicle, a fuel bowser and other mining equipment.

The team additionally recovered three firearms and 25 rounds of live ammunition during the operation.

To prevent the miners from returning to the site, the task force dismantled 15 makeshift structures and destroyed a generator found at the mining location.

The suspects and seized exhibits have been handed over to the Savannah Regional Police Command in Damongo for further investigations and possible prosecution.

The heavy-duty equipment has meanwhile been moved to designated holding facilities.

NAIMOS said the operation forms part of its ongoing collaboration with the security agencies to tackle illegal mining and protect the environment and water bodies from further destruction.

The Secretariat said it would continue working with the Ghana Armed Forces, Police Service and other relevant institutions to disrupt illegal mining activities in the Savannah Region.