Front Desk report
NAIMOS Dismantles Massive Galamsey Strongholds Along Ankobra and Bonsa Rivers in Unprecedented Offensive
President John Dramani Mahama’s government has launched a full-scale assault on illegal mining, with the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) leading a charge that has seen over 300 galamsey structures and dozens of machines destroyed in a blistering 72-hour operation.
The lightning raids, which began on Thursday, September 11, and concluded Saturday, September 13, are a powerful demonstration that the President is not just talking the talk but walking the walk in his fight to reclaim Ghana’s polluted water bodies.
The operation, executed with military precision by the NAIMOS Task Force and the Blue Water Guards, has sent a clear message to illegal miners that their days of impunity are over.
Operation Details: A Strategic Knockout
The three-day offensive was a strategic masterpiece, targeting known galamsey hotbeds along the Ankobra and Bonsa rivers.
Day One – Ashem Line Assault: The operation kicked off with a raid on the Ashem Line community in the Nzema East, Western Region. The target: galamsey sites directly contaminating the Ankobra River.
The results were devastating for the illegal miners: 99 makeshift structures reduced to ashes, 54 chanfangs destroyed, and a haul of essential equipment seized, including pumping machines, generators, and electronic gadgets.
Day Two – Bonsa River Liberation: The assault moved to the Tarkwa Nsuem Municipality, where illegal miners had brazenly blocked and diverted the entire Bonsa River to facilitate their operations.
The NAIMOS team’s response was swift and merciless: 15 more chanfangs were obliterated, 11 pumping machines were torched, and three massive dredging machines were dismantled.
Day Three – The Final Blow: The crescendo of the operation was a raid on the Dwira Ashem town. Facing a community of over 1,000 illegal miners, the task force delivered the knockout punch, systematically destroying over 200 makeshift structures, 34 chanfangs, and seizing everything from smartphones to fridges—the very logistical backbone of the illegal operations.
A Direct Response to Presidential Pledges
The timing of this intensive crackdown is no coincidence. It comes just days after President Mahama’s media encounter on September 10, where he forcefully reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the anti-galamsey fight.
Dismissing calls for a state of emergency, the President insisted that existing laws provide sufficient firepower to combat the menace. He revealed that his government had already repossessed nine forest reserves and stationed permanent military detachments to prevent re-encroachment.
These actions, backed by impressive statistics of previously seized equipment—440 excavators, 1,400 water pumps, and 300 chanfangs—set the stage for this week’s dramatic escalation.
Environmental Victory
The operation’s success is measured not only in destroyed equipment but also in its environmental impact. The task force specifically targeted sites where pipelines were found connected directly to river systems, transforming Ghana’s major rivers—the Ankobra, Birim, Pra, and Bonsa—into “stagnant, polluted pools.”
NAIMOS operatives ensured that three previously immobilized excavators found at Ashem Line were rendered “totally inefficient,” preventing them from being repaired and used for future illegal activities.
Numbers that Tell the Story
The numbers from the three-day operation speak for themselves:
* 319 makeshift structures destroyed
* 103 chanfang machines destroyed
* 17 pumping machines seized/destroyed
* 3 dredging machines dismantled
* 4 motorbikes seized
* 14 gas cylinders confiscated
* 3 generators seized
* Multiple electronic devices, including smartphones, TVs, and solar panels
The Road Ahead: No Letting Up
As President Mahama stated, the government remains “resolute in the fight against illegal mining.” The President’s actions are already bearing fruit, with no new licenses issued to mine in forest reserves since he took office in January 2025.
His administration is also actively working to repeal LI-2462 to formalize its commitment to protecting these vital ecosystems.
The message from this week’s operation is stark and clear: the era of illegal mining being an unstoppable force is over.
NAIMOS has demonstrated that with political will, strategic coordination, and relentless action, Ghana’s environmental heritage can be reclaimed.
The NAIMOS Task Force has vowed to continue its “relentless fight” along other affected water bodies, signaling a new dawn for Ghana’s polluted rivers and a fresh breath of hope for the nation’s environmental future.