The NAIMOS Taskforce has carried out a major anti-galamsey operation at several illegal mining sites in Obuasi, leading to the seizure of equipment and the arrest of one suspected ringleader.

This was contained in a statement issued after the joint team conducted the swoops on Monday, November 17, 2025.

According to the Taskforce, the operation was based on “hot intelligence” that revealed illegal miners had forcibly taken over sections of a legally acquired concession at Anyankyireml belonging to Asanti Gold Corporation.

The intruders were said to have blocked the company from accessing its own site.

The Taskforce reported that the targeted areas included strategic locations around the Obuasi Airport, where illegal mining activities had recently been highlighted in public reports.

During the exercise, officers seized several pieces of equipment, including motorbikes, water pumps, and vehicles. Makeshift structures erected on the mining sites were also destroyed to prevent a regrouping of the operators.

Although many of the miners fled upon seeing the Taskforce, one man, described as a key organiser of the illegal activities, was arrested.

He is currently in police custody and is expected to face prosecution after investigations.

The Taskforce emphasised that the swoop was part of ongoing national efforts to clamp down on illegal mining, which continues to damage forests, farmlands, and water bodies across the country.

The operation adds to the series of intensified crackdowns in the Ashanti Region, where several communities have become hotspots for galamsey despite sustained government campaigns to curb the menace.