The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat has intensified its crackdown on illegal mining in Osino, Eastern Region, arresting 12 suspected illegal miners.

The task force destroyed equipment found at the illegal mining site.

The operation forms part of ongoing efforts by the government to tackle illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, which continues to threaten communities and the environment.

The latest operation comes just days after a similar exercise was conducted at the same location, with NAIMOS officials returning to find illegal miners back at the site.

Some of the miners say it was their first time at the site and that they were there to earn their daily survival.

Among them is a 15-year-old only known as Bernard, who said he was brought to the site by someone to work and raise money to support his education.

Bernard, who is from Navrongo, said he arrived at the site and started work this morning.

Speaking to JoyNews' Stephen Mensah on September 25, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, Spokesperson for NAIMOS, said the recurrence demonstrates the need for a permanent security presence at illegal mining hotspots.

“It's not the first day of an operation like this. We got the indication they were here four days ago, and they returned again.”

He said the situation reinforces the government's strategy of maintaining permanent deployments in areas affected by illegal mining.

“This basically affirms why the permanent deployment forms part of government's core strategies.”

According to Mr Schandorf, the task force had already flushed out illegal miners from the area several days earlier, but their return demonstrates the difficulty of sustaining the gains of periodic operations.

“You saw when we arrived how that all of them have put together their equipment, and then they are back at the very same place they were flushed out.”

He said the recurrence gives further justification to calls for a more permanent security presence.

“It gives credence to the Minister's proposition that a permanent deployment is the way to go.”

NAIMOS says the government intends to invest more resources into permanent deployment arrangements to prevent illegal miners from returning to cleared sites.

Mr Schandorf also called for stronger local enforcement, arguing that communities with Police stations should be able to respond quickly to illegal mining activities.

“It shouldn't even take NAIMOS to come all the way from the NAIMOS headquarters for some of these operations to be conducted.”

He said better coordination between local security agencies and national enforcement teams would help sustain the fight.

The NAIMOS spokesperson acknowledged the support of the police, National Security and other state agencies in the ongoing operations.

“The Police have been very cooperative. The National Security has been extremely supportive. All the relevant state agencies have been very supportive.”

He, however, said more effort is required from all stakeholders, including residents of affected communities.

According to him, local intelligence remains an important component of the operations, although communities are often divided over illegal mining because some residents benefit from the activity.

“There are those who are beneficiaries, and then there are those who are against the whole fight. And so it's a divided front.”

Mr Schandorf said residents who oppose illegal mining have continued to provide information to the authorities, helping security agencies identify illegal operations.

He believes the persistent nature of galamsey means the fight cannot be left solely to national agencies.

“The illegal mining becomes an item of national concern.”

He said the presence of houses, shops and other activities close to illegal mining sites demonstrates how deeply the practice has become embedded in some communities.

NAIMOS says the latest Kyebi operation, including the arrests and destruction of mining equipment, is intended to disrupt the activities and prevent the miners from immediately returning to the site.