The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against illegal mining in the Eastern Region, arresting six Chinese nationals and two Ghanaians while dismantling a large-scale galamsey site along the Nukura Stream at Asuom in the Kwaebibirem District.

On Sunday, December 7, a 40-member NAIMOS task force stormed the site, believed to have operated for years with impunity, destroying farmlands and contaminating water bodies. Officers found foreign-supervised crews actively mining in the stream and effected arrests without resistance.

The foreign suspects, aged between 28 and 58, were transported under heavy security to Accra for further investigations.

At the site, NAIMOS immobilised five excavators by removing key operational components and seized a sixth, which was transported to Accra on a low-bed truck. Five vehicles, including Toyota Hilux and Nissan pickups, were also confiscated. Twenty containers of fuel meant to sustain the illegal operations were discovered, with four moved to Accra to prevent any attempt to revive the site.

The task force destroyed makeshift camps and processing sheds, rendering the area uninhabitable for immediate reoccupation.

Preliminary assessments show that more than 50 acres of land had been severely degraded, with deep pits and polluted surfaces across what were once productive farmlands.

Intelligence gathered by NAIMOS suggests that other illegal operators along the Birim and Ayensu rivers have fled their sites following news of the crackdown.

The operation underscores NAIMOS’ commitment to enforcing environmental laws and ending galamsey impunity. Despite difficult terrain and long operational hours, the teams maintained discipline and efficiency throughout.

NAIMOS says the message is clear: illegal mining, foreign involvement, and local collaborators will face sustained and intensified enforcement to protect Ghana’s rivers, forests, and farmlands.