Foreigners Nabbed as NAIMOS Cracks Down on Illegal Mining in Western Ghana

Two Chinese nationals and several Burkinabè workers have been arrested in a renewed operation by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) to clamp down on galamsey activities in parts of the Western and Western North Regions.

The Wednesday, October 8, 2025 operation followed credible intelligence about illegal mining in the Tano Anwia Forest Reserve near Jomoro.

According to NAIMOS officials, operatives initially faced resistance from some forest guards who attempted to prevent their entry. After breaking through, they uncovered an active mining site along the Tano River.

In a dramatic chase, a Toyota Land Cruiser V8 tried to flee the area. Two Chinese nationals aboard the vehicle were arrested, but a third suspect managed to escape.

Four excavators were found on the site, three already immobilised and the fourth disabled by the task force. The team also discovered evidence of river diversion, heavy-duty water pumps, and 12 temporary mining shelters, all of which were destroyed.

Items recovered included GH¢10,050 in cash, mobile phones, radios, fuel drums, and control panels. The two Chinese suspects have been transferred to Accra for interrogation.

Preliminary findings suggest the miners were operating under the cover of a supposed community mining project linked to a local chief, Nana Kwame Nkansah. Investigators believe the Chinese suspects financed and supplied logistics for the illegal activity.

NAIMOS, in a statement, said it will continue to pursue all persons involved in illegal mining, whether local or foreign, stressing that “no one will be spared if found complicit.”

In a related operation at Essipong near Asankrangwa, NAIMOS agents discovered Burkinabè nationals working for Bugart Mining at a site close to the Kwama stream.

Although company officials produced a licence issued in 2012, authorities questioned the employment of foreign workers without proper work permits. One CAT excavator was immobilised, and the firm was directed to report to the NAIMOS headquarters in Accra on Thursday, October 9, together with all its Burkinabè staff for verification and further investigation.