By Emmanuel Nii Sackey
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has disclosed the arrest of 237 individuals nationwide in connection with illicit mining activities, commonly referred to as galamsey. According to the secretariat, majority of those apprehended are foreign nationals, underscoring the substantial involvement of external actors in these illegal activities.
Col. Dominic Buah, Director of Operations at NAIMOS, stated at an Editors’ Forum on March 25 that these arrests form part of a comprehensive nationwide enforcement initiative. “We have apprehended 237 individuals, with the majority being foreign nationals,” he confirmed.
He added that the operations have yielded an impressive success rate of 87.7 percent, signifying considerable progress in the fight against illicit mining.
The NAIMOS Director of Operations reported that enforcement actions have led to the confiscation and destruction of equipment utilized in illegal mining operations, including excavators and changan machines.
“To date, 94 excavators have been destroyed, and nearly 3,000 changfan machines have been rendered inoperable,” he revealed. In situations where equipment cannot be readily relocated, critical components are extracted to render them unusable, he explained.
“When operating in the field without the means to transport these machines, we remove essential components, thereby preventing their reuse,” he stated.
The NAIMOS official further noted that sustained operations are producing results, with a marked decrease in the presence of excavators at illicit mining sites.
“At various galamsey sites, the deployment of excavators has decreased drastically —those encountered are often immobilized,” he added, emphasized that the majority of individuals arrested in the fight against illicit mining are foreign nationals, predominantly Chinese citizens, raising significant concerns regarding security and environmental degradation.
He disclosed that most persons apprehended in galamsey operations are foreigners, with Chinese nationals constituting a substantial proportion. Col. Buah noted that even the Chinese Ambassador has expressed concern about the involvement of his nationals in Ghana’s illegal mining activities. Col. Buah cautioned that the activities of these illicit miners are having detrimental effects on the nation’s natural resources.
“These individuals are destroying our lands, forests, and water bodies; thus, we need to closely monitor the situation,” he warned, while assuring that NAIMOS will continue to provide regular updates on its operations, including arrests and seizures, emphasizing that accountability remains pivotal in the fight against illicit mining.