JUST IN: NAIMOS Taskforce turns down GH¢119k bribe, arrests alleged Galamsey Kingpins in Bekwai
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has thwarted an attempted bribe by three suspected illegal miners after confiscating equipment at a galamsey site in the Bekwai Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, the anti-galamsey task force returned to Edwinase and Kokotro—areas where earlier operations had forced illegal miners to flee. At Kokotro, the team uncovered a mining site operating within the community, posing serious risks to residents, property, and the environment.
During the exercise, officers dismantled temporary structures and destroyed industrial pumping machines and other tools used for illegal mining. They also seized a Liugong excavator, two Liugong monitors, and an unregistered motorcycle.
As the team made its way back to base, three individuals—Emmanuel Koblah, Samuel Addai, and Kofi Frimpong—arrived in a black Tundra F150 (registration number GR 4743–16). The men allegedly claimed ownership of the Kokotro site and offered GH¢119,825.00 in an attempt to retrieve the confiscated equipment.
The task force declined the bribe and arrested the suspects, who were subsequently handed over to the Bekwai Police Station for further investigation and possible prosecution. The seized cash, excavator monitors, and vehicle have since been secured at the NAIMOS headquarters.
NAIMOS has cautioned illegal miners and their collaborators that any attempt to bribe its personnel will result in swift arrest and legal action. The Secretariat also called on local authorities and security agencies to step up surveillance at previously raided locations to prevent a resurgence of unlawful mining activities.
