Miners’ Taskforce Destroys 40 ‘Chang Fa’ Boats in Anti-Galamsey Raid

A self-organized taskforce under the National Concerned Small-Scale Miners Association has waged a fierce battle against illegal mining, destroying 40 ‘Chang Fa’ machines operating along the Abompe stretch of the River Offin in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of the Ashanti Region.

The decisive operation, which also targeted tributaries around Mpasatia and Beposo, forms part of the Association’s ongoing self-policing initiative to purge its own ranks of those tarnishing the image of legitimate small-scale miners.

Armed with speedboats and tracking equipment, members of the taskforce stormed the riverbanks where dozens of illegal operators had been dredging for gold. The miners reportedly abandoned their machines and fled, leaving behind the Chang Fa boats, locally improvised floating dredgers, that were quickly destroyed on site.

Environmental officers accompanying the taskforce said the river’s once-clear waters have turned murky brown, choked by silt and chemical waste from the illegal activities. “The damage is heartbreaking,” one officer remarked. “This river used to feed farms and homes. Now it can barely sustain fish.”

Speaking after the operation, Philip Bawah, Director of Operations for the Association, reaffirmed their resolve to reclaim the rivers from destruction.

“We want to send a strong message: mining in river bodies is illegal. Anyone still involved must stop before the law catches up with them,” he said.
“There are better, lawful ways to earn from small-scale mining. Destroying our rivers is not one of them.”

The Atwima Mponua District has been one of the hardest-hit areas in the Ashanti Region, with frequent reports of collapsed pits and polluted streams. Despite several government crackdowns, galamsey operations continue to resurface, particularly along river bodies like the Offin.

Taskforce leader Bresi Andoh added that the group will not relent.

“We are not waiting for the government to do everything. This is our land, our water, and our future. We must protect it.”

As dawn broke over the Offin River, the smoke from burning Chang Fa machines rose like a warning, an emblem of both defiance and hope that Ghana’s rivers might yet breathe again.