In the early hours of Wednesday, June 4, 2025, a joint task force comprising personnel from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), the Forestry Commission, and the National Security Secretariat executed a three-day operation against illicit mining in the Offin Shelterbelt Forest Reserve, within the Nkawie Forest District.
Commencing at 4:00 AM, the mission caught galamsey operators by surprise. In the course of the raid, officers confiscated 12 excavators, two motorbikes and two pump‑action shotguns, and arrested five suspects, including one Chinese national. Encountering Forestry Commission colleagues at Nkawie, the national team advanced into the reserve, prompting many miners to flee and abandon their equipment and makeshift camps.
To send a clear warning to other illegal operators, the task force’s military unit demolished the abandoned camps. Those detained have been named as Simon Mensah, Edward Addo, Aboagye Foster and Amoah Justice; documents recovered at the site also identified Ayogsum Agnes and Jonathan Asigre. All suspects are now in the custody of the Nkawie District Police for further questioning.
The seized excavators have been transported to the 4th Infantry Battalion Barracks for secure storage. This crackdown forms part of a wider strategy spearheaded by Emmanuel Armah‑Kofi Buah, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, to eradicate illegal mining and rehabilitate Ghana’s degraded ecosystems.
Speaking on the operation’s success, Minister Buah reiterated his ministry’s “zero‑tolerance” approach to galamsey: “This is not a one‑off. We are intensifying operations nationwide. Ghana’s forests and water bodies must be protected at all costs.” As investigations proceed, further updates on this campaign are anticipated.
