The Ashanti Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, Michael Adu Gyamfi, has alleged that some police officers and mining enforcement taskforces extort money from miners during operations against illegal mining.
Speaking on the panel discussion of TV3’s Climate Talks 2026, Kumasi edition on Wednesday, September 23, he claimed that the alleged practice had become widespread among some taskforces deployed to mining communities.
While, he noted that he could not confirm if NAIMOS is engaged, he stated point blank that the police is involved.
“It is open secret that every designed taskforce take money from miners. NAIMOS, I cannot say that for a fact but for other taskforces, I can make it point blank that they take money,” Mr Adu Gyamfi alleged.
“The police is part, party people are also involved and the District Assemblies,” he said.
Mr Adu Gyamfi also questioned the deployment of multiple police units to the same mining sites, arguing that the pattern raises concerns about whether the operations are solely focused on enforcement or extortion.
“I am not doubting the role of the police as far as enforcement is concerned but let me give you a classical example that one mining site in a day three police units will move to that site for the same purpose,” he said.
According to him, the units often identify themselves as coming from different levels of the police service.
“When you enquire from them, they will tell you they are from Region. In about three hours later, another unit will come, when you ask them, they will tell you they are from Division,” he explained.
“Now even those mandated to take care of high way robberies are all moving into mining sites.”
He questioned why multiple police units would be carrying out what appeared to be the same enforcement mandate at a single mining site.
“How can for one purpose, three different police units enforce the same thing at the same site?” he asked.
“To me, it is something more than the enforcement they are doing,” he said.
He also alleged that a District Assembly he was familiar with regularly deployed a taskforce to seize mining equipment, after which miners were allegedly required to pay money before the equipment is released.
“I know of a District Assembly within every month, they have a taskforce that goes round taking machine parts, then they bring all to the Assembly then the miners will go and take it one after the other,” he said.
Mr Adu Gyamfi called for a critical review of Ghana’s licensing regime, the operations of mining taskforces and government interventions, arguing that reliance on force alone had not produced the desired results in the fight against illegal mining.
