The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), an independent task force established by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has launched a bold operation to disrupt illegal mining activities, also known as galamsey in parts of the Eastern Region.
Acting on intelligence, the team stormed the Kyebi general area, where illegal miners had turned sections of the Birim River into a wasteland of mud, chemicals, and environmental degradation.
As the task force moved in, galamsey operators fled into nearby forests, abandoning their equipment—but not before leaving behind a trail of ecological destruction.
Once-pristine riverbanks are now pockmarked with deep, jagged pits, the river’s waters thick with sediment and toxic runoff. The air was filled with the stench of diesel and decay, a haunting reminder of a once-thriving ecosystem.
The raid, which began in the afternoon and continued into the early hours of June 16, 2025, led to the seizure of four excavators.
The task force promptly disabled the machines by removing their control boards, rendering them inoperable, and later transferred them to the local police station.
Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to the fight against illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, despite the continued defiance by perpetrators.
“This is not just a fight for today—it is a battle for the future of our land, water, and children,” the Minister declared in a post-operation briefing. “Those who poison our rivers and strip our forests for profit are enemies of Ghana’s survival. We will hunt them down, we will dismantle their operations, and we will restore what has been stolen from our people.”
it are enemies of Ghana’s survival. We will hunt them down, dismantle their operations, and restore what has been stolen from our people.”
The Minister’s remarks echo the growing frustration of environmental activists and local communities, who have watched farmlands disappear, rivers become polluted, and livelihoods suffer due to unchecked illegal mining.
