The Minerals Commission, together with the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), has intensified its clampdown on illegal sand-winning sites and stone quarries as part of efforts to enforce compliance with the country's mining laws.

During an operation at Tsopoli in the Ada community, suspected operators fled the site before the enforcement team arrived.

The operation forms part of a broader campaign to enforce compliance with Ghana's mining laws and curb the environmental degradation caused by illegal sand-winning and quarrying activities.

Speaking during the inspection on Tuesday, July 8, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission in charge of Small-Scale Mining and Industrial Minerals, Maxwell Klu, said preliminary checks showed that the site was operating without the required licence.

According to him, officials found no evidence that the operators had obtained the necessary authorisation to undertake sand-winning activities at the location.

"So, everything shows that whatever they are doing, they are not licensed," he said.

Mr Klu revealed that even individuals found at the site were unable to identify the owner of the operation. He explained that one of the workers attempted to contact the alleged operator by phone, but the call was abruptly terminated, raising further suspicion about the legitimacy of the activity.

He said the circumstances suggested that some operators had become emboldened enough to carry out illegal mining activities openly, rather than under the cover of darkness.

"And today, it is not under the cover of darkness. In broad daylight, they just enter a place, and then they are cutting sand," he stated.

Mr Klu stressed that regardless of the purpose for which the sand was being extracted, every operator is required to obtain the appropriate licence before commencing work.

"No matter the project that they are on, this place must be duly licensed," he said, adding that operators are also expected to meet all statutory obligations, including the payment of mineral rights, ground rates, and other regulatory fees.

"They must have the requisite payment. And then they must comply with all the annual mineral rights, the ground rates, and all the statutory payments that they are supposed to pay," he explained.

Mr Klu acknowledged that illegal sand-winning remains a significant challenge for the authorities, noting that the Minerals Commission is working closely with the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) to tackle the menace.

He disclosed that the Minerals Commission had taken the GPS coordinates of the site as part of ongoing investigations and indicated that officials would return for further enforcement actions.

Asked what would become of the excavator and other equipment left at the site, Mr Klu said the Commission would engage NAIMOS before deciding on the appropriate course of action.