The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), in collaboration with the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC), has executed a major intelligence-led operation that successfully dismantled entrenched illegal mining networks within the Oda River Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region.

The coordinated mission, carried out on 23 October 2025, led to the arrest of several illegal miners and nine armed imposters posing as National Security operatives.

According to a statement from NAIMOS, the operation was meticulously planned by its Headquarters and the Ashanti REGSEC to restore law and order in one of Ghana’s most environmentally degraded forest reserves.

Three tactical teams were deployed across the forest to secure access routes and apprehend suspects.

Acting on credible intelligence, operatives intercepted several illegal miners attempting to flee on motorbikes.

Fifteen suspects were apprehended after admitting they had received advance warnings about the taskforce’s approach.

During the same mission, officers encountered nine armed men dressed in khaki uniforms who falsely claimed to be National Security personnel.

The imposters, said to be acting under the orders of a man identified as “Major Jabari,” were found with one pistol containing three rounds of ammunition, a toy pistol, a pump-action shotgun with three cartridges, two handcuffs, and eight pouches.

These items were seized for further investigation.

In a related development, NAIMOS operatives foiled a bribery attempt by individuals who arrived in two vehicles—a Toyota Tundra and a Ram pickup—offering GH₵100,000 and an additional GH₵20,000 as “chop money” for the release of the arrested suspects.

The taskforce later advanced deeper into the reserve to assess the environmental devastation caused by illegal mining.

Once reclaimed and replanted with trees and palm species, the forest had again been ravaged—vegetation cleared, vast tracts of land degraded, and water bodies heavily polluted.

The team discovered a makeshift settlement of wooden structures and tents used as operational bases by the miners, all of which were dismantled and destroyed to prevent future occupation.

NAIMOS described the operation as a significant milestone in Ghana’s renewed fight against illegal mining, made possible through strategic collaboration with the Ashanti REGSEC.

Commending the mission’s success, the Director of Operations, Colonel Dominic Buah, lauded the professionalism and discipline displayed by officers, calling the operation “a model of inter-agency cooperation and enforcement excellence.”

He emphasised that “no individual, group, or impostor will be allowed to exploit Ghana’s natural resources with impunity,” assuring that NAIMOS will sustain coordinated actions nationwide to protect the country’s forests and water bodies for future generations.