Gov’t Records 84.1% Strike Rate in Anti-Galamsey Operations, Seizes 78 Excavators in Six Months
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, has reported significant gains in the fight against illegal mining, with the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat recording an 84.1% operational strike rate across six endemic regions in the first half of 2026.
Addressing the media at the Government Accountability Series on Wednesday, Mr Buah said NAIMOS sustained a nationwide operational tempo in Ashanti, Western, Western North, Eastern, Bono/Ahafo and Central Regions during the period under review.
He stated that a total of 200 operations were executed across 53 districts, while the Secretariat conducted 169 enforcement operations targeting illegal mining sites, forest reserves, river bodies and concession encroachments.
According to the Minister, the operations led to the arrest of 207 suspects made up of 161 Ghanaians and 46 foreign nationals.
All suspects have been processed and handed over to the security services for appropriate action.
He reported that between January and June this year, 78 excavators were seized and 90 others were immobilised on site.
The team also destroyed 2,800 chanfangs on river bodies across the endemic regions and pulled down 1,244 makeshift structures associated with illegal mining camps.
Mr Buah further disclosed that 302 water pumps, 31 vehicles, 72 motor bikes, 18 generators, 2 pay loaders, 5 gold detector machines, 3 outboard motors, 3 weighing scales and 2 mini car washing machines were retrieved from both active and abandoned galamsey sites.
He added that the water pumps have since been handed over to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to support the government’s irrigation efforts.
The Minister also noted that the operations yielded the recovery of 112 pump action rifles, 2 sidearms, 2 locally manufactured rifles and 1,637 rounds of assorted ammunition.
These weapons, he said, have been handed over to the Ministry of the Interior for destruction, in a move aimed at removing illicit firepower from mining enclaves.
Mr Buah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sustaining the crackdown and working with regional security councils, traditional authorities and local communities to protect forest reserves and water bodies from further degradation.
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