The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) continue to disrupt the activities of entrenched illegal mining networks that operate with impunity on water bodies.
These illegal activities occur despite the existence of local security, intelligence and administration arrangements.
On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at about 9:30 am, personnel of the NAIMOS task force, in collaboration with the Akyem-Oda Blue Water Guards, embarked on a joint operation to clamp down on illegal mining (galamsey) activities on and along the Pra River.
The intelligence led operation was conducted between Ofoase Awona and Nsese villages in the Eastern Region.
The objective of the operation was to verify and disrupt ongoing illegal mining activities on the Pra River and destroy the infrastructure and equipment used by the galamseyers in their nefarious riverine activities that had severely polluted the River and caused a shut down of some water treatment plants.
The joint NAIMOS and Blue Water Guard task force commenced the operations from Akyem Ofoase Awona village in the Akyemansa District.
Personnel covered an estimated distance of about fourteen (14) kilometres on foot through cocoa plantations to access the home bank of the Pra River.
Upon arrival at the river, the team encountered approximately 50 illegal miners who were actively engaged in illegal mining activities directly on the Pra River. On sighting the task force, the illegal miners abandoned their operations and swam across the River to the far bank near Nsese Village to evade arrest.
Subsequently, the joint task force proceeded to dismantle and destroy all equipment found at the site.
In total, 75 dredging Changfang platforms and 50 gold washing platforms were destroyed. In addition, 150 Changfang machines on the riverbed were burnt.
Several pipelines and water hoses directly connected to the Pra River and used for mining operations were also destroyed.
Following the raids, the NAIMOS task force took the opportunity to interact with and sensitize the local population on the dangers and health implications of the illegal mining.
They applauded the NAIMOS task force for their work and requested that the operations be sustained in the areas to help restored their water bodies and livelihoods.
“It is worth highlighting that the existence of such entrenched illegal mining networks in remote communities that operate with impunity raises serious security concerns that require immediate attention. There is need to re-orient and augment current administration and security arrangements in such remote communities to deter the activities of such emboldened criminal networks,” NAIMOS stated.
