The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), in collaboration with personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces, has seized 17 excavators and destroyed several chanfan machines and makeshift structures in a major operation targeting illegal mining activities in the Central Region.
The enforcement exercise, conducted between September 7 and 13, 2026, focused on illegal mining sites at Subin-Akwaboso in the Upper Denkyira West Municipality and along sections of the River Offin and its tributaries.
The operation forms part of ongoing efforts by NAIMOS to clamp down on illegal mining activities blamed for the degradation of Ghana’s forest reserves and water bodies.
According to NAIMOS Director of Operations, Lt. Col. K. S. Appiah, the operation followed several weeks of reconnaissance and intelligence gathering by the Secretariat and its security partners.
The intelligence, he said, identified a number of active illegal mining sites operating within the Subin-Akwaboso township, along roadsides and on the banks and tributaries of the River Offin.
Armed with the intelligence, the joint task force moved into the area to disrupt the activities and seize equipment allegedly being used for illegal mining.
At Subin-Akwaboso, the team seized 15 excavators, while several chanfan machines and makeshift structures associated with the illegal mining operations were destroyed.
The task force subsequently extended the enforcement operation to Dunkwa-On-Offin, where additional illegal mining sites were targeted.
Several chanfan machines and makeshift structures were destroyed at the sites, while two more excavators were seized, bringing the total number of excavators confiscated during the operation to 17.
Lt. Col. Appiah said all the seized excavators have since been transported to a secure military holding facility in the Ashanti Region, where they will remain pending further investigations and administrative action.
He explained that the seizure of the equipment was part of a broader strategy to disrupt the logistical capacity of illegal miners operating within environmentally sensitive areas.
The operation, he said, was particularly important because of the potential impact of illegal mining activities on the River Offin and its tributaries, which serve as critical water resources for communities within the area.
NAIMOS has maintained that protecting water bodies requires sustained enforcement against illegal mining operators who continue to deploy excavators, chanfans and other equipment in river corridors.
Lt. Col. Appiah warned that the latest operation would not be treated as a one-off exercise.
He said NAIMOS would continue with targeted patrols, intelligence-led operations and follow-up enforcement activities in the area to prevent illegal miners from returning to sites that have been cleared.
The continued monitoring, he said, would also strengthen enforcement along the Offin River corridor and enable authorities to respond more quickly to attempts to resume illegal mining activities.
He further stressed that enforcement alone would not be sufficient to address the environmental consequences of illegal mining.
According to him, proper reclamation and restoration of degraded mining sites must form an integral part of efforts to protect water bodies and safeguard communities located around affected areas.
Lt. Col. Appiah disclosed that the enforcement team would, in the coming days, engage persons suspected of involvement in illegal mining to ensure that affected sites are properly reclaimed.
The move is intended to address the environmental damage already caused by mining activities, including the destruction of riverbanks and surrounding land.
He said restoring degraded sites would be necessary to prevent further deterioration of the environment and improve the prospects of recovering affected water resources.
The latest operation at Subin-Akwaboso and Dunkwa-On-Offin therefore marks another phase in NAIMOS’ ongoing enforcement campaign, with the Secretariat combining intelligence-led operations, equipment seizures and site restoration measures in its efforts to curb illegal mining.
Story By Kwame Kakraba
