The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), in partnership with the Ghana Army and the Forestry Commission, launched a sweeping operation in the Atwima Mponua Forest Reserve, targeting illegal mining activities.
The raid, which took place on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at Anhwiafutu in the Nkawie Forest District of the Offin Shelter Belt, was the result of weeks of intelligence gathering.
Arriving at dawn, the task force discovered clear signs of recent mining activity, including excavator tracks suggesting that several machines had been hastily removed before their arrival. Some miners fled the scene upon spotting the officers.
During the operation, authorities dismantled makeshift shelters and disabled nine excavators hidden deep in the forest. They also confiscated two Toyota Hilux pickups and one Nissan pickup. Additionally, five Chanfang machines, fuel storage units, old excavator engines, seven water pumps, and various personal items left behind were destroyed.
The team extended their search to a nearby residence suspected of housing 12 Chinese nationals involved in illegal mining. Though the occupants had escaped earlier that morning, the search yielded 18 excavator batteries, 31 buckets of grease, seven gas cylinders, an excavator radiator, and a small car-washing machine. Due to logistical challenges, the immobilized excavators could not be removed from the site.
Officials emphasized that this operation reflects the government’s strengthened resolve to protect forest reserves from illegal mining and the armed groups that support such activities.
Author: Jasmine Adjei
Development journalist
