Twenty-eight illegal miners have been arrested in a joint operation led by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Squad (NAIMOS) within the Cape Three Points Forest Reserve in the Western Region.
The swoop followed intelligence reports about large-scale galamsey activities deep inside the reserve. Despite heavy vegetation and swampy terrain, officers combed about 50 kilometres of forest to flush out the miners.
The task force apprehended 28 young men, all Ghanaians, while several others escaped. Authorities say the group had destroyed significant parts of the forest through unregulated mining.
During the raid, makeshift camps were dismantled, and an excavator was immobilised to prevent further use. The team also seized seven water pumps, sixteen shovels, one pickaxe, seventeen wraps of Indian hemp, twelve mobile phones, three small bottles of mercury, and GH¢150 in cash, among other items.
The suspects and the confiscated materials have since been handed over to the Agona-Nkwanta Police for investigation and prosecution.
In a statement, the NAIMOS Task Force reiterated its resolve to protect Ghana’s natural resources and warned illegal miners to desist or face further clampdowns.
“We will sustain these operations until the last illegal miner is out of Ghana’s forest reserves,” the task force declared.
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