The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has begun an unannounced enforcement operation in the Amansie Central District to clamp down on shops selling Changfan mining machines and related equipment used for illegal mining in water bodies.

Chief Executive Officer of the EPA, Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, who led the exercise, said the move forms part of efforts to curb the pollution of Ghana’s rivers and enforce the government’s ban on river mining.

During a swoop on one major hub suspected of selling the prohibited equipment, Prof. Browne Klutse revealed that a Chinese-owned shop was supplying Changfan machines, motors, and other accessories used in river mining.

“We have seen that the owner is a Chinese national and they are selling Changfan machines, motors, and other parts used for mining in our river bodies,” she said.

“It’s illegal to sell these floating machines. Mining in our river bodies is prohibited, and the EPA is here to close down the shops and other businesses that support this activity.”

She explained that some of these operators disguise their activities under the pretext of selling agricultural equipment, but investigations show their products are used primarily for illegal mining.

“They hide under the disguise that their machines are also used for agricultural purposes. But we clearly know that, especially in this area, they are used for mining in our water bodies,” she stressed.

Prof. Browne Klutse added that the shop did not have a valid EPA permit to sell such machinery. The Agency, she said, had requested documentation from the operators, warning that EPA will not license any entity dealing in equipment that supports illegal mining operations.

“As we try to clean our water bodies and stop mining in rivers, we cannot allow shops that supply the tools used for the same illegal act,” she said.

The EPA boss reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting Ghana’s natural resources and warned that the Agency will intensify its enforcement actions in other mining hotspots across the country.

The Changfan machines, which are floating dredgers commonly used in illegal mining (galamsey), have been identified as a major cause of siltation and pollution in rivers such as the Pra, Offin, and Ankobra.

The EPA’s latest swoop forms part of a renewed national effort to restore Ghana’s degraded river systems and enforce environmental laws targeting illegal mining support networks.