The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has arrested two Chinese nationals and intercepted several Burkinabè workers during a series of targeted operations against illegal mining commonly known as galamsey in Ghana’s Western and Western North Regions.
The crackdown, which occurred on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, followed intelligence reports of illegal mining activities inside the Tano Anwia Forest Reserve in the Jomoro District.
Officials reported that initial access to the forest was blocked by some Forest Guards. However, NAIMOS operatives eventually gained entry and uncovered an active mining site along the Tano River.
During the raid, a Toyota Land Cruiser V8 attempted to flee the scene, but two Chinese nationals on board were captured. A third individual managed to escape.
The Task Force also found four excavators three had already been immobilised, and the fourth was rendered inoperable during the operation. Additional evidence uncovered included signs of river diversion, two high-powered water pumps, and 12 makeshift mining camps, all of which were destroyed on-site.
Items recovered from the scene included GH¢10,050 in cash, mobile phones, two-way radios, fuel drums, and mining control panels.
The arrested Chinese nationals have since been transferred to Accra for further investigation. Preliminary findings suggest that they were acting as financiers, providing funding and equipment to support illegal mining activities under the guise of a community mining initiative allegedly endorsed by Nana Kwame Nkansah, the chief of Jomoro.
In an official statement, NAIMOS warned that it will continue to pursue all individuals involved in illegal mining, regardless of their status or nationality. “No one will be spared if found complicit,” the statement read.
In a related operation in Essipong, near Asankrangwa in the Western Region, NAIMOS operatives inspected a site operated by Bugart Mining. Several Burkinabè nationals were found working near the Kwama stream and a major roadway.
Although company officials presented a mining licence issued in 2012, authorities questioned the legality of employing foreign nationals without proper work documentation.
A CAT excavator was immobilised at the site, and the company was ordered to report to the NAIMOS headquarters in Accra on Thursday, October 9, along with all Burkinabè workers for verification and further investigation.
