Seven arrested as NAIMOS cracks down on Ankobrah galamsey

The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has arrested seven suspected illegal miners during a targeted nighttime operation along the Ankobrah River at Ayiem Juabo in the Amenfi Central District of the Western Region.

The operation was carried out on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at about 8:30pm, following intelligence reports of ongoing illegal mining activities that had severely polluted sections of the river upstream. NAIMOS field officers moved in to dismantle a galamsey camp located directly along the riverbank to halt further environmental destruction.

Those arrested were identified as Numbor Kwasi Musah, 16; Benja Nakura Abdul-Wahid, 15; Kombate Indabre, 20; Mawuli Boni, 29; Justice Mensah, 40, from Alavanyo; Bright Kwasi Nkrumah, 35; and Kwabena Lambon, 30. One of the suspects was found with a Ghanaian ID card bearing a different name, which he denied owning.

During the raid, the taskforce retrieved nine water pumping machines, mining trays and pans, charms, and mobile phones used in the illegal mining activities. All makeshift structures at the site were dismantled, while equipment found was destroyed to prevent a return to the galamsey operation.

The suspects have been handed over to the Ayiem Juabo Police Station to assist with investigations and possible prosecution. The seized pumping machines have been transported to the NAIMOS headquarters in Accra for safekeeping and further action in line with established procedures.

NAIMOS says the operation forms part of a broader strategy to intensify intelligence-led enforcement against illegal mining, particularly in high-risk areas affecting major water bodies. The Secretariat has commenced plans to permanently deploy field officers to galamsey-prone zones to reduce response times and sustain pressure on illegal mining networks.

The Secretariat reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Ghana’s rivers and forest reserves, stressing that continuous field presence and rapid-response operations remain key to ending illegal mining activities nationwide.