NAIMOS retrieves 112 pump-action guns, 1,637 rounds of ammunition in illegal mining crackdown
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has retrieved 112 pump-action rifles and 1,637 rounds of assorted ammunition during intensified operations against illegal mining across the country in the first half of 2026.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, disclosed this at the Government Accountability Series in Accra, describing the recoveries as a reflection of the dangerous nature of illegal mining activities.
According to the Minister, the weapons were recovered during 200 anti-illegal mining operations conducted across 53 districts in six mining hotspot regions—Ashanti, Western, Western North, Eastern, Bono, Ahafo and Central.
He said, in addition to the 112 pump-action rifles, security personnel also retrieved two sidearms, two locally manufactured rifles and a total of 1,637 rounds of assorted ammunition from active and abandoned illegal mining sites.
Mr. Buah noted that the recoveries underscore the security threats associated with illegal mining, saying the fight against the menace extends beyond environmental protection to safeguarding lives and maintaining national security.
He said the operations also led to the arrest of 207 suspects, comprising 161 Ghanaians and 46 foreign nationals, who have since been handed over to the appropriate security agencies for further investigations and prosecution.
The Minister added that 78 excavators were seized, 90 excavators demobilised, and about 2,800 “changfan” machines destroyed during the six-month period. Security teams also demolished 1,244 makeshift structures used as illegal mining camps and recovered several other equipment, including water pumps, vehicles, motorbikes, generators and gold detector machines.
Mr. Buah commended officers of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) for their commitment and bravery, stressing that government would continue to strengthen enforcement efforts to eliminate illegal mining and protect the country’s forests and water bodies.
