The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), in a joint operation with the Blue Water Guards, has dealt a heavy blow to an active galamsey enclave along the Oda River corridor in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region.

The team arrested eight suspected illegal miners and seized four excavators and two motorbikes during a night operation on Thursday, April 30.

The operation was triggered by credible intelligence indicating that illegal miners were actively engaged in mining activities along the roadside corridor and the banks of the Oda River at Mpatasie and Odaho, two communities situated within the broader galamsey belt of the Amansie West District.

Acting on the information received, the joint team mobilised from the Manso Adubia operational base at approximately 2230 hours and advanced swiftly on the indicated locations, exploiting the cover of darkness to close in on the active mining points before the operators could disengage.

On arrival, operatives found several individuals engaged in illegal mining close to the roadside and the river, a major waterway under pressure from ongoing galamsey activities in the area.

The team carried out a coordinated operation and arrested eight suspects: Bismark Abilla, 23, from Bolgatanga; Michael Donkor, 36, from Tepa; Kuviele Apuo, 23, from Wa; Bernard Akeleyona, 31, from Bolgatanga; Joseph Donkor, 33, from Tepa; Vincent Gyimah, 35, from Odaho; Ebenezer Asare, 26, from Odaho; and Kwame Asaa, 38, from Navrongo.

Seven of the suspects were living in Odaho at the time of the arrest, while one was a resident in Anwia Nkwanta.

A thorough sweep of the surrounding area subsequently led to the recovery of four excavators belonging to the operators.

The first machine is a Sany model, retrieved without its monitor and control board. The second is a Hyundai model, with the control board and monitor still intact.

The third is an XCMG model, recovered with its control board only. The fourth is another Hyundai model, recovered without both its control board and its monitor.

The condition of three of the four machines reflects the now familiar practice among galamsey operators of pre-emptively detaching the most expensive electronic components in anticipation of enforcement activity.

In addition to the heavy equipment, two motorbikes belonging to the suspected illegal miners were also seized at the scene and conveyed to the task force holding area at Manso Adubia for safekeeping pending further action.

All eight suspects have since been handed over to the Antoa Krom Police Station for further investigation and possible prosecution, while the four seized excavators have been transported to the NAIMOS equipment holding base in Kumasi for secure custody.

The Mpatasie and Odaho operation reaffirms the operational effectiveness of integrated deployments between NAIMOS taskforce elements and the Blue Water Guards, particularly along the riverine corridors where the galamsey threat is most concentrated.

The Secretariat wishes to assure the public that the cover of darkness offers no sanctuary to offenders, and that operatives will continue to pursue active mining enclaves at every hour of the day and night until the integrity of the Oda River and the wider Amansie West landscape is fully restored.