The National Anti Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has arrested ten suspected illegal miners and impounded six excavators during a special operation targeting galamsey sites in Bunso within the Eastern Region. The raid, conducted by a joint security task force, focused on multiple illegal mining locations operating along river bodies and forested areas where unauthorized activities were causing severe environmental damage.
NAIMOS officials confirmed that the suspects were engaged in mining operations without proper authorization at the time of the intervention. The six excavators seized are believed to have been actively used for galamsey operations, while additional mining equipment was also confiscated at various sites. The suspects remain in custody and are expected to face court proceedings as investigations continue into the extent of environmental destruction caused by their activities.
The operation represents part of ongoing government efforts to eliminate illegal mining, protect water bodies and restore degraded lands across Ghana. NAIMOS has intensified enforcement actions in the Eastern Region following repeated incidents of miners returning to previously raided sites. The secretariat’s mandate includes dismantling illegal mining networks, confiscating equipment and prosecuting individuals involved in unauthorized mineral extraction.
The Bunso area has become a focal point for anti galamsey operations in recent weeks. On January 7, 2026, NAIMOS conducted a separate major raid at the COCOBOD Demonstration Farm in Section E of Bunso, where illegal miners had encroached on land reserved for cocoa research and development. During that operation, the task force found eight excavators and arrested twelve individuals actively engaged in unauthorized mining within the research facility.
According to NAIMOS officials, the demonstration farm had been visited twice previously with orders for miners to vacate the area. Despite these warnings, the miners reportedly returned barely one week later and resumed operations, causing further damage to the research farm. The persistent return of illegal miners to previously cleared sites demonstrates the challenges facing enforcement authorities in maintaining control over affected areas after initial interventions.
The arrested miners from the demonstration farm operation were handed over to Ghana Police Service for further investigation and prosecution. The eight seized excavators were conveyed to the NAIMOS equipment base in Accra for safe keeping. This action follows a pattern established by the secretariat of removing heavy machinery from mining sites to prevent immediate resumption of illegal activities once enforcement teams depart.
NAIMOS emphasized that the operation forms part of broader national efforts to safeguard state lands, water bodies and farmlands from destructive effects of illegal mining. The secretariat warned that individuals who continue flouting the law will face the full rigor of enforcement actions. The repeated raids in Bunso signal government determination to protect critical agricultural research assets alongside natural resources.
The Eastern Region hosts numerous illegal mining operations due to its rich mineral deposits, particularly around areas including Bunso, Kibi, Akwadum and other communities in the Abuakwa South Municipality. The region’s proximity to major rivers and forest reserves makes it especially vulnerable to environmental degradation from galamsey activities. NAIMOS operations in the region have uncovered extensive damage to water bodies, forests and farmlands.
Enforcement efforts face complications from criminal elements exploiting the anti galamsey campaign. On January 2, 2026, Eastern South Regional Police Command arrested five men accused of posing as NAIMOS officials while allegedly extorting money from miners. The suspects, identified as Moses Tapiam aged 43, Christopher Amakor aged 29, Casimir Nunekpeku aged 29, Wisdom Miwonuko aged 35 and Paul Agbanu aged 53, were apprehended at Akwadum dressed in security uniforms and claiming to be NAIMOS operatives from Accra.
Police reports indicated the suspects were moving from one mining site to another, allegedly extorting money from miners under the guise of enforcing anti galamsey operations. They were traveling in a Mitsubishi pickup vehicle with registration number GS 536 25 when arrested and later handed over to the Eastern South Regional Criminal Investigations Department in Kibi. The impersonation scheme highlighted growing concerns about criminal elements exploiting Ghana’s intensified campaign against illegal mining.
NAIMOS was established in 2025 as a dedicated task force to combat illegal mining with full backing from President John Dramani Mahama’s administration. The president has declared galamsey a form of terrorism and vowed relentless action against perpetrators. Since its establishment, NAIMOS has conducted operations across Eastern, Central, Ashanti, Western and Bono regions, seizing excavators, arresting illegal miners and burning illegal mining camps.
As of November 30, 2025, the secretariat had arrested 1,486 illegal miners and confiscated 443 excavators along with other mining equipment across various operations. Despite these enforcement actions, pervasive illegal mining continues in water bodies and designated buffer zones, leaving major rivers including Pra, Ankobra, Bia, Offin, Ayensu and Birim heavily polluted. Forest reserves providing essential ecological services are also being pillaged with impunity even as NAIMOS works to fulfill its mandate.
Operations have encountered violent resistance in some locations. A November 2025 incident at Hwidiem in the Bono Region saw approximately 600 people allegedly incited by Asutifi North Member of Parliament Ebenezer Kwaku Addo besiege a police station demanding release of arrested miners. A January shootout at the AngloGold Ashanti mining site in Obuasi resulted in seven illegal miners killed during confrontation with military personnel, underscoring the volatile environment in which enforcement teams operate.
NAIMOS operations in December 2025 across Western, Western North and Eastern regions discovered that illegal miners had blocked the Bia and Ayensu rivers serving as water sources for residents. The task force also found that Atewa Forest, noted for its rich ecological wealth and globally significant biodiversity area status, remains under siege by illegal miners operating on unprecedented scales. The miners have expanded operations deep into the forest reserve, leaving behind numerous uncovered pits filled with water.
Evidence of child labor at illegal mining sites emerged during Eastern Region operations, where NAIMOS teams rescued several children working alongside adult illegal miners who escaped arrest. The presence of minors at galamsey sites adds another dimension to enforcement challenges, requiring coordination with child protection agencies alongside traditional law enforcement responses.
The latest Bunso arrests and equipment seizures demonstrate continued government commitment to disrupting illegal mining networks despite operational challenges. However, the tendency of miners to return to previously raided sites shortly after enforcement teams depart indicates that sustained presence and alternative livelihood programs may be necessary alongside enforcement actions to achieve lasting reduction in illegal mining activities.
