The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has announced the arrest of 237 individuals in its intensified nationwide crackdown on illegal mining, widely known as galamsey.
The secretariat revealed that a significant number of those arrested are foreign nationals, underscoring growing concerns about external involvement in the illicit activity.
Speaking at an Editors’ Forum on Wednesday, March 25, the Director of Operations at NAIMOS, Col Dominic Buah, confirmed the figures, stating, “We have made 237 arrests, the majority of them are foreigners.”
He explained that the arrests form part of a broader enforcement strategy aimed at curbing illegal mining and restoring degraded lands and water bodies across the country.
Col Buah further disclosed that the operations have recorded what he described as a strong performance rate, noting, “the operations have achieved a strike rate of 87.7 percent,” an indication of steady progress in the ongoing fight.
Beyond arrests, NAIMOS has also targeted the tools that fuel illegal mining activities. According to Col Buah, several pieces of heavy-duty equipment have either been seized, disabled, or destroyed.
“94 excavators have been destroyed so far… almost 3,000 chanfangs have been destroyed,” he revealed.
He added that in situations where the equipment cannot be immediately transported from mining sites, operatives ensure they are rendered unusable. “In the field, when we do not have load beds, we remove vital components so that they cannot use the excavator again,” he explained.
The NAIMOS official indicated that these sustained enforcement measures are beginning to produce visible results. He noted a sharp decline in the presence and use of excavators at illegal mining sites across the country.
“At the various galamsey sites, the use of excavators has gone down drastically… those you meet are often immobilised,” Col Buah added.
NAIMOS say the crackdown will continue as part of efforts to protect Ghana’s natural resources and curb the environmental damage caused by illegal mining activities.
