The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has arrested three Chinese nationals and a Ghanaian in connection with suspected illegal sand-winning activities at Aveyime in the Greater Accra Region.
The arrests were made during an enforcement operation at a sand-winning site where NAIMOS officials discovered heavy machinery and other equipment allegedly being used for sand extraction.
The Operational Officer of NAIMOS, Gedzia Raphael Keli, said the three Chinese nationals arrested at the site could not provide valid residency permits or documents explaining their presence and activities in Ghana.
He said the suspects would first be sent to the Sege Police Station before being transferred to the Ghana Immigration Service in Accra for further processing.
“Chinese nationals seen on the site; they don’t have permits for residency. They don’t have any documentation to prove why they are here. So we will arrest them and send them to Sege Police Station right now. But when we are done with the operation for the day, we’ll send them to the Immigration Service in Accra for processing,” he said.
NAIMOS also said the operators of the site, including the alleged owner, were unable to provide documents proving that their sand-winning activities had been legally authorised.
According to the Secretariat, the operation resulted in the immediate shutdown of the site, with the operators directed to report to the Minerals Commission for inspection and verification of their permits.
The team seized evidence of the operation, including a fuel barge, a payloader and an excavator believed to have been used for the sand extraction activities.
Mr Keli identified the Ghanaian suspect as an individual who allegedly worked as a foreman or translator between the Chinese nationals and other workers at the site.
The four suspects were expected to be transported to Accra for further investigations and processing.
Meanwhile, the Sege District Police Headquarters Commander, Daniel Dan Yaro, has called for stronger collaboration between the Minerals Commission and security agencies to ensure effective enforcement of regulations governing sand winning.
He stressed the need for professionalism during enforcement exercises to prevent excesses and ensure that affected persons understood the basis for such operations.
“Indeed, I would say we need to do things professionally to avoid excesses so that at least those who are in the forefront can also understand the basis for this enforcement. Nobody should be intimidated. And once we collaborate, we understand the basic principle of this activity,” he said.
He urged the Minerals Commission to deepen cooperation with security agencies to help reduce illegal sand extraction.
The operation comes amid concerns from residents in Afienya over the continued activities of sand winners and their impact on surrounding communities.
NAIMOS has indicated that it will work with the sector ministry to develop additional measures aimed at addressing illegal sand winning and reducing environmental degradation.