The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has shut down a Chinese-owned warehouse, FEI FUCAI, located at Anwia Nkwanta in the Ashanti Region, for allegedly storing and fabricating single-led engines, also known as 'Chanfang' machines and other equipment used in illegal mining operations.

The enforcement action comes in the wake of the government’s recent ban on the importation, use, and fabrication of 'Changfan' machines—equipment notorious for causing widespread destruction to Ghana’s water bodies, forests, and farmlands through illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

During the operation, EPA officials uncovered hundreds of 'Changfan' components and other mining accessories concealed inside the facility.

The warehouse had reportedly been registered under the guise of dealing in automobile spare parts, but was allegedly being used to assemble and distribute mining machinery.

The closure forms part of a broader national clampdown on individuals and companies involved in the galamsey supply chain — including importers, fabricators, and distributors of mining machinery operating without authorisation.

Speaking after the operation, Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of EPA, Prof. Ama Brwone Kluste,  stressed that the agency’s enforcement drive now targets not only illegal miners in the field but also the logistical and financial networks that sustain the illicit trade.

“The fight against galamsey is evolving. We are now going after the enablers — those who import, assemble, or sell illegal mining machinery that destroy our environment,” an EPA enforcement officer stated.

The EPA reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with the Ghana Police Service, the Minerals Commission, and the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) to ensure strict compliance with environmental laws and the recent ban.

Authorities have also hinted at possible prosecutions and sanctions against the operators of FEI FUCAI and other entities found complicit in violating the ban.

“Protecting our water bodies and farmlands remains a national priority.

Anyone found aiding or abetting illegal mining — directly or indirectly — will face the full force of the law,” the EPA warned.

The shutdown of FEI FUCAI underscores the government’s intensified resolve to disrupt the illegal mining ecosystem and safeguard Ghana’s natural resources for sustainable development.