as Foreign Links Emerge
By Philip Antoh
Ghana’s National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) intensified its crackdown on illegal mining networks on 6 December, launching simultaneous operations in the Eastern and Western North regions.
The coordinated raids, which targeted riverbank mining along the Birim, Ayensu, and Bia rivers, yielded significant seizures of equipment, the arrest of foreign nationals, and fresh evidence of transnational involvement in illicit gold extraction.
In the Eastern Region, NAIMOS operatives swept through Akwadum, Ayigbe Town, and Ankaase Osino in the Abuakwa South and Fanteakwa districts.
The task force seized five excavators three of which were transported to Accra under armed escort while two were disabled on-site. Makeshift mining camps were dismantled and torched, and industrial pumping equipment was confiscated.
The operation disrupted active mining near the Birim River, prompting operators to flee into surrounding bushland.
Further north in Nsutem, reconnaissance teams discovered that miners had preemptively removed excavators left behind during earlier raids, exploiting enforcement gaps.
Field officers reported extensive environmental degradation, including six-acre excavation fields and pits over eight feet deep, filled with polluted water. Technical teams advised that future immobilisations should include removal of fuel pumps to prevent reactivation of machinery.
In the Western North Region, NAIMOS deployed a 31-member task force to the Suaman Dadieso District, where they uncovered a concealed mining site near the Bia River. Evidence suggested operators had been tipped off excavators were hidden in the bush with control boards removed.
The proximity to the river raised alarm over sedimentation and chemical contamination affecting local water sources.
A breakthrough came in the suburb of Niger, where an abandoned mobile phone led investigators to WhatsApp messages implicating a contact saved as “Boss Lii.” The communications pointed to foreign coordination, prompting the arrest of nine Chinese nationals.
The suspects were taken to multiple sites for verification, where officers documented environmental damage and dismantled processing structures.
Among the seized items were excavator filters, a Tecno smartphone, mercury, and a motorbike used for forest mobility.
A team from the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC) later arrived to recover scrap metal and heavy equipment remnants, part of a broader national effort to reclaim industrial assets from illegal operations.
In a final twist, NAIMOS disclosed that an anonymous caller attempted to bribe the team with GH₵2.7 million to secure the release of the detained Chinese nationals. The offer was rejected, reinforcing the task force’s operational discipline and zero-tolerance posture.
The dual-region operation underscores NAIMOS’s evolving strategy: combining tactical field enforcement with intelligence-led targeting of foreign-linked networks. While the agency has faced criticism in the past for episodic enforcement and limited follow-through, recent operations suggest a more sustained and coordinated approach.
However, challenges remain. Operators continue to adapt, dismantling machinery ahead of raids and exploiting jurisdictional blind spots. The presence of foreign actors particularly Chinese nationals adds a diplomatic dimension to enforcement, raising questions about oversight, local complicity, and the resilience of illegal mining syndicates.
As NAIMOS consolidates its gains, the broader test will be whether these tactical victories translate into long-term disruption of Ghana’s deeply entrenched galamsey economy. For now, the message is clear: the state is watching, and the gloves are off.