The Environmental Protection Authority(EPA) has shut down a Chinese-owned warehouse, FEI FUCAI, located at Anwia Nkwantah in the Ashanti Region, for allegedly storing and fabricating Chanfan machines and other equipment used in illegal mining activities.

The enforcement action follows the government’s recent declaration banning the importation, use, and fabrication of Changfan machines — equipment widely linked to the destruction of water bodies and farmlands through illegal mining (galamsey).

According to EPA officials who led the operation, hundreds of Chanfan components and other mining accessories were discovered inside the warehouse, which was purportedly registered for the storage and sale of automobile spare parts.

“The company has been operating under the guise of selling spare parts, but investigations revealed it was actively fabricating Chanfan machines,” an EPA enforcement officer said.

“This directly contravenes the government’s directive and poses a serious environmental threat.”

The closure forms part of a broader clampdown on individuals and entities involved in the galamsey supply chain, including those who import or assemble mining machinery without authorisation.

Authorities have warned that the fight against illegal mining will now extend beyond field operations to target logistical suppliers and financiers who sustain the illicit trade.

The EPA says it will continue to collaborate with the police, the Minerals Commission, and the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining to ensure compliance with the ban and hold offenders accountable.