The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has arrested five armed men impersonating members of the anti-galamsey task force in the Western Region, warning the public against such criminal activities.

The arrests took place on February 13, 2026, at Hiawa in the Wassa Amenfi Central Municipality, following reports from locals and miners that a group of armed men was extorting money from illegal mining operators under the guise of NAIMOS operations.

Speaking on the incident, a NAIMOS spokesperson said, “These individuals were parading as members of the anti-galamsey task force and collecting huge sums from illegal miners. Our taskforce acted swiftly to apprehend them and recover weapons and cash.”

The impostors were intercepted while returning from a special operation at Ayiem Juabo after the taskforce spotted a suspicious Toyota Land Cruiser, registration number AK 819-21, believed to belong to the group.

The arrested men have been identified as Joshua Bitey Andrews, 55; George Obeng Agyarko, 48; Dominic Gansa, 45; Issah Banteo, 38; and Alhassan Ibrahim, 38.

Authorities recovered an array of weapons and items from the suspects, including a pistol with two magazines, pepper sprays, cutlasses, a shocker, hand radios, a handcuff, helmets, a tessor, and GH₵150,000 in cash.

The group has since been escorted to Accra and handed over to the Ghana Police Service for further investigation.

NAIMOS has urged the public to be cautious and report any individuals or groups impersonating anti-galamsey officers, emphasising that such acts will not be tolerated. The Secretariat also reminded illegal miners that these impostors are not part of its official operations.

Illegal mining, or galamsey, continues to pose serious environmental and social challenges in Ghana, with task forces like NAIMOS and the Ghana Police Service working to clamp down on operations that threaten water bodies, farmlands, and forests across the country.