The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has carried out targeted night operations against illegal mining activities along the Ankobrah River at Ayiem Juabo in the Amenfi Central District of the Western Region.

The operation took place on Wednesday, January 14, at about 2030 hours, following intelligence on ongoing illegal mining activities that had caused severe pollution of the river upstream.

The NAIMOS field officers, therefore, moved onto the illegal mining camp located directly along the riverbank with the objective of halting the destructive activities and protecting the water body.

During the operation, seven (7) suspected illegal miners were apprehended at the site. The individuals arrested were: Numbor Kwasi Musah, aged 16; Benja Nakura Abdul-Wahid, aged 15; Kombate Indabre, aged 20, who was found in possession of a Ghanaian ID card bearing the name Kombate Damban but denied any association with it; Mawuli Boni, aged 29; Justice Mensah from Alavanyo, aged 40; Bright Kwasi Nkrumah, aged 35; and Kwabena Lambon, aged 30.

The task force retrieved several items used in the illegal mining operations, including nine (9) water pumping machines, mining trays and pans, charms, and mobile phones.

All makeshift structures found at the galamsey camp were dismantled, and equipment found on site was destroyed to prevent a return to the illegal mining activities.

The arrested suspects were handed over to the Ayiem Juabo Police Station to assist with further investigations and prosecution. The seized pumping machines were transported to the NAIMOS headquarters in Accra for safekeeping and subsequent action in line with established procedures.

In line with its broader operational strategy, NAIMOS has outlined and commenced elaborate plans to permanently deploy field officers to high-risk illegal mining areas to significantly reduce response times to reported galamsey activities.

These forward deployments are intended to support sustained, intelligence-led operations and to also increase the frequency of both daytime and nighttime enforcement actions across affected districts.

NAIMOS reaffirms its commitment to maintaining constant pressure on illegal mining networks and protecting Ghana’s water bodies and forest reserves through continuous field presence and rapid-response operations.