National Task Forces Launch Coordinated Crackdown on Illegal Mining in Eastern and Western Region

Ghana’s fight against illegal mining intensified this week as two major national task forces; the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and the Blue Water Guards launched simultaneous operations across two regions, dismantling illegal mining sites, seizing heavy machinery, and reclaiming degraded lands and waterways.
The sweeping enforcement campaign, which began on Monday, October 13, saw NAIMOS storm a series of illegal mining sites in the Eastern Region, while the Blue Water Guards targeted similar operations in the Western Region.
NAIMOS Taskforce Storms Eastern Region
Acting on credible intelligence, NAIMOS operatives descended on Oda Nkwanta, Birim Central Municipality, and the Akanteng–Asamankese area, where they uncovered active illegal mining sites destroying cocoa farms and contaminating tributaries of the River Birim.
Miners fled upon the task force’s arrival, abandoning three excavators, five motorbikes, and several other items, including excavator batteries and computer monitors. One excavator was found hidden in dense vegetation, signaling the sophistication of these clandestine operations.
The operation continued the next day, October 14, with fresh offensives at Old Abirem, Kyenkyenku, and Oboho Forest Reserve. Officers disabled and destroyed several excavators, heavy-duty water pumps, and fuel drums. At Old Abirem, three locals were found on the premises and taken in for questioning, a move that led the team to another site just a few kilometers away.
In Kyenkyenku, illegal miners were found working dangerously close to a public road, while in the Oboho Forest Reserve in the Ayensuano District. four excavators were discovered parked in surrounding villages, raising concerns of external backing for the illicit trade.
Blue Water Guards Strike in Wassa Agona
While NAIMOS intensified its clampdown in the east, the Blue Water Guards extended the fight in the Western Region, where fresh operations were carried out in Wassa Agona, Bogoso, Bayerigya, and Mpohor to stop the destruction of water bodies and farmlands.
Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, October 14, the Mpohor Blue Water Guards undertook a high-intensity operation at Mile 9, within the Mpohor Fiase District. The team destroyed and burnt a machine used for mining activities.
On Wednesday, October 15, the Blue Water Guards under the Tarkwa Nsuaem Constituency launched a decisive raid at Wassa Agona, a community near the River Bonsa.
The operation targeted illegal mining activities believed to be polluting the river and degrading surrounding farmlands. In total, 22 pumping machines were seized and destroyed, alongside 18 Changfang gold extraction units, which were set ablaze on site. The action formed part of an ongoing community-led campaign to safeguard the River Bonsa; one of the region’s most vital water sources.
The enforcement momentum carried into Thursday, October 16, when the Bogoso River Guards mounted a dawn operation at Ehyireso, within the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality, along the Mansi River.
During the exercise, one Changfang machine was destroyed and burnt, and other equipment found at the site were seized.
Later that same morning, at about 9:00 a.m., another team of Blue Water Guards conducted a separate raid at Bayerigya, also in the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality. Two pumping machines were seized, while additional tools, boards, and outer components used in the illegal operations were destroyed.
Government’s Ongoing Commitment
Officials from both NAIMOS and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources have emphasized that these operations are not isolated incidents but part of a renewed nationwide effort to reclaim Ghana’s environment from illegal mining syndicates.