Nine suspected miners have been arrested, with over 50 changfans destroyed as the government’s anti-galamsey task force swept through Prestea Nakaba in the Western Region.
The operation, carried out by over 100 soldiers from Operation Halt, targeted illegal mining sites along the Ankobra River, a critical water body heavily polluted by galamsey activities.
With mounting pressure from civil society and professional bodies, the government has intensified its efforts to protect the country’s natural resources.
The crackdown extended to Assin Assaman in the Central Region, where the task force dismantled 10 changfans along the River Pra, seizing illegal mining tools and a locally manufactured gun.
At Prestea Nakaba, a total of 33 grinding machines, 27 water pumps, and a motorbike were destroyed to further deter the miners from returning.
The destruction of these changfans, essential tools for illegal miners, is seen as a major blow to the destructive operations plaguing Ghana’s rivers.
Despite the arrests and equipment destruction, illegal mining continues to devastate the country’s environment, leaving communities in anguish.
