The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has destroyed nearly 2,000 chanfangs and over 800 makeshift structures in a sustained four-month operation across eight regions aimed at disrupting illegal mining networks.
The Director of Operations at the secretariat, Colonel K. S. Appiah, said the operations, carried out between June 13 and September 30, 2026, covered approximately 50,662 kilometres and involved raids, riverine patrols and reconnaissance.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Thursday, October 22, 2026, he said 738 operational activities were conducted in the Western, Western North, Central, Eastern, Ashanti, Bono, Savannah and Northern regions. The task forces recovered 74 firearms, 551 rounds of ammunition, excavators, water pumps and vehicles during the period. Suspects arrested were handed over to the appropriate authorities.
Targeting the supply chain
Colonel Appiah said the secretariat would shift focus to the equipment suppliers and facilitators who enable illegal mining, adding that the operations would no longer be limited to miners at the sites.
"Our operational focus will continue to target the equipment, suppliers, and facilitators who sustain illegal mining operations," he said.
He said intelligence gathering, field enforcement and investigations would be coordinated to ensure evidence gathered during operations led to successful prosecutions. He noted that officers had been directed to operate within their lawful authority and preserve evidence, while reserving the right to self-defence against hostile acts.
Fight is a marathon
Colonel Appiah described the campaign against illegal mining as a marathon, noting that task forces often had to burn or dismantle mining equipment because inaccessible roads made it impossible to transport the machinery out of river bodies.
"The fight against illegal mining is a marathon, and we are poised to go through this race to ensure that we take out all illegal mining infrastructure on our river bodies," he said.
He said success would be measured by whether cleared areas remained secure, illegal activity declined, cases advanced through the justice system and environmental recovery became measurable. He added that the secretariat would work with environmental and water institutions to assess the impact of its interventions.
Public cooperation
Colonel Appiah said the secretariat had received a significant number of reports from the public over the past two months, including GPS locations and contact details that enabled teams to respond to potential threats.
"We've received a lot of whistleblowing from various quarters where people call, send GPS locations, provide points of contact, and we have sent teams to prevent illegal mining in certain areas," he said.
He called on the public to continue providing credible information to support the enforcement efforts.
