The Ashanti Regional Reclamation Committee has recovered three excavators that had previously been disabled during an anti-galamsey operation but were secretly repaired and reactivated by illegal miners near the Obuasi Airport in the Obuasi municipality of the Ashanti region.
The recovery was made during a site inspection by the Committee as part of preparations for a major land reclamation exercise aimed at restoring vast portions of degraded land destroyed by illegal mining activities, on Monday, July 27,2026.
The inspection team comprised officials from National Security, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Minerals Commission, the Minerals Development Fund (MDF), and other key stakeholders tasked with assessing the extent of environmental destruction and developing strategies for rehabilitation.
The Ashanti Regional Deputy Security Coordinator, Alhaji Abdullah Umaru Nje, hinted that the three excavators had earlier been rendered inoperable during a joint anti-illegal mining operation conducted by National Security and the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).
He said the operation led to the seizure of nine excavators, while three additional machines were disabled after critical engine components were removed to prevent their continued use.
But, when the Committee returned to the site to undertake an environmental assessment ahead of the reclamation project, they found the supposedly disabled excavators actively engaged in illegal mining operations after the operators had managed to procure replacement engine parts.
Alhaji Nje explained that upon noticing the arrival of the inspection team and security personnel, the operators hurriedly removed the replacement parts from the excavators and fled the scene in an attempt to evade arrest.
Security officers subsequently secured the necessary components, restored the excavators to operational condition, and transported all three machines from the site to prevent them from being used again for illegal mining.
He admitted that the incident exposed weaknesses in previous enforcement strategies and stressed that future anti-galamsey operations would ensure that all seized machinery is immediately removed entirely from illegal mining sites instead of being partially disabled.
“We have learnt important lessons from this incident. Going forward, excavators and other heavy-duty equipment found at illegal mining sites will be completely evacuated to prevent criminals from returning them into operation,” he said.
The Deputy Security Coordinator described the inspection as the first phase of an ambitious reclamation programme being spearheaded by the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (ARCC) to restore degraded lands across the region.
Apart from restoring the damaged landscape, he disclosed that the project would also focus on sustainable livelihoods for affected communities.
He explained that after the reclamation works are completed, residents would be organised into community groups and trained to cultivate and manage oil-producing crops and other economic plantations on the reclaimed lands to generate long-term income while protecting the environment.
Alhaji Nje further called on licensed small-scale miners to embrace responsible mining practices by undertaking progressive land reclamation throughout their operations.
He appealed to the miners to collaborate with their respective Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to obtain the necessary reclamation documentation and ensure degraded lands are restored for future agricultural use.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi, Faustilove Appiah Kannin, expressed concern over the persistent reoccupation of reclaimed lands by illegal miners despite repeated security interventions.
500 excavators seized from illegal mining sites – Lands Minister
By Benjamin Aidoo
