The National Anti‑Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) says it has made progress against illegal mining but cautions the country is “not out of the woods yet.”

Colonel Dominic Buah, Director of Operations at NAIMOS, told editors at a media engagement in Accra that intensified operations over the past 10 months had led to the seizure of 94 excavators, destruction of nearly 3,000 changfang machines, and the arrest of 237 suspects.

“As you can see… 94 excavators so far seized… almost 3,000 changfangs destroyed… arrests, we have 237. Majority of them are foreigners,” he said.

Col. Buah said NAIMOS had recorded an operational “strike rate” of about 87 per cent, indicating successful outcomes in most field operations, including seizures, arrests and destruction of illegal mining equipment.

He noted that the presence of excavators at illegal mining sites had reduced significantly due to sustained enforcement.

“We used to meet 10, 20 excavators. But now, you hardly meet any of them,” he said, adding that some equipment was immobilised on‑site when removal was not immediately possible.

Col. Buah disclosed that 59 weapons, mainly pump‑action guns, had been seized from illegal miners, describing the situation as a major national security threat.

“There are several weapons in the space… and that is a huge risk… NAIMOS will not stand by, and watch people use weapons against us,” he warned.

“If you go to the field with a weapon and try to fire it, a lot more will be at you,” he added.

Col. Buah highlighted the involvement of foreign nationals, particularly Chinese, in illegal mining, noting that many were trafficked into the country through organised networks.

“There is a network… that traffics these Chinese… sometimes they don’t even know where they are coming to… and our own citizens collaborate with them,” he said.

He explained that some arrested foreigners were deported after due process, while others faced prosecution depending on the evidence available.

Col. Buah said NAIMOS was collaborating with state institutions to repurpose seized equipment, with pumping machines handed over to farmers through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, while scrap metals recovered from water bodies were being cleared with support from the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation.

He said that the Secretariat was scaling up permanent deployments across mining hotspots, with plans to establish at least nine operational bases by mid‑2026 to enable rapid response.

Col. Buah said NAIMOS was supervising land reclamation efforts, including the restoration of over 800 acres of degraded land in parts of the country.

Despite the progress, he acknowledged challenges, including evolving tactics by illegal miners and risks faced by personnel.

“A soldier going to stop galamsey and gets shot… it is a huge risk. But we will continue to move on,” he said.

Col. Buah urged illegal miners to take advantage of Government‑backed cooperative mining schemes, warning that those operating in prohibited areas would be dealt with.

“You have no business going into the forests and water bodies… NAIMOS will smoke them out from wherever they are hiding,” he said.

Illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, continues to pose environmental and economic threats to the country, including pollution of major rivers, destruction of forest reserves and loss of arable land.

NAIMOS, established in 2025, is mandated to coordinate anti‑illegal mining operations, protect water bodies and forests, and support efforts to restore degraded lands.