The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has stormed the Atwima Mponua Forest in a massive swoop, which took place on Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

The exercise, which is part of ongoing operations in the Ashanti Region, was conducted by the NAIMOS task force with support from the Forestry Commission.

Working with troops from the 4th Infantry Battalion of the Ghana Army, the task force swept through Anhwiafutu in the Nkawie Forest District of the Offin Shelter Belt, in a relentless chase of illegal miners.

The task force arrived in the dawn hours of the day, following tight-lipped intelligence from the local folks.

Upon arrival, the team observed the presence of excavators and other visible signs of illegal mining activities within the area and different parts of the forest.

On seeing the task force, the illegal miners fled the scene and abandoned their operations, leaving behind their tools and equipment.

Subsequently, the team retrieved and immobilised nine excavators, seized two Toyota Hilux pickups and one Nissan pickup, which had all been concealed in the forest.

All nine seized excavators were immobilised due to a lack of low beds to convey them out of the community.

The task force also set ablaze five (5) changfan machines, tons of personal belongings, fuel dumps, old excavator engines at various sites, and seven (7) water pumping machines from sites belonging to the illegal miners.

From there, the team further raided a house in an area that was reportedly accommodating some Chinese illegal miners.

NAIMOS investigations confirmed that 12 of these Chinese illegal miners stayed in that house and had fled the house at dawn.

A search conducted in the house, however, revealed 18 excavator batteries, 31 buckets of grease, seven gas cylinders, one mini car washing machine, and one excavator radiator.

Meanwhile, the task force is keeping a watch on the area and all seized equipment as part of the government’s enhanced surveillance across all endemic galamsey spots across the country.