The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) Task Force has apprehended two Chinese nationals and intercepted Burkinabè workers during separate anti-galamsey operations in the Western North and Western Regions of Ghana.
On Wednesday, October 8, 2025, the Task Force raided the Tano Anwia Forest Reserve in the Jomoro District following intelligence reports of illegal mining activities along the Tano River.
Although access to the reserve was initially blocked by forest guards, operatives managed to enter the area, where they uncovered an active mining site. A Toyota Land Cruiser V8 attempted to flee the scene, but two Chinese nationals on board were captured, while a third suspect escaped arrest.
During the operation, the team discovered four excavators—three of which had already been immobilised, with the fourth disabled on-site. They also found evidence of river diversion, two heavy-duty water pumps, and 12 makeshift mining shelters, all of which were destroyed.
Items retrieved from the site included GH¢10,050 in cash, mobile phones, radio communication devices, fuel drums, and control boards. The two Chinese suspects have since been transferred to NAIMOS headquarters in Accra for further investigation and prosecution.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects were allegedly operating under the guise of the Jomoro Community Mining Project, purportedly sanctioned by the local chief, Nana Kwame Nkansah. According to NAIMOS, the Chinese nationals are believed to be key financiers of galamsey operations in the area, providing both logistical and financial support to illegal miners.
In a stern warning, NAIMOS stated:
“The Secretariat will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute any foreign nationals or local collaborators involved in or supporting illegal mining activities.”
In a separate operation at Essipong, near Asankrangwa in the Western Region, the Task Force visited Bugart Mining, where several Burkinabè nationals were found working at a site close to the Kwama Stream and a major highway.
Although the operators claimed to have secured a mining licence in 2012, officials expressed concern over the employment of foreign nationals at the site. A CAT excavator was immobilised, and NAIMOS directed the mine owners to report to its Accra headquarters on Thursday, October 9, along with all Burkinabè workers for verification and further questioning.
