The National Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAiMOS) has stepped up its crackdown on unlawful mining activities in the Eastern Region, seizing and disabling excavators while shutting down multiple illegal sites along the Birim and Ayensu river corridors.

The latest operation, carried out on 6 December 2025, marked the third consecutive day of intensive enforcement in the Abuakwa South and Fanteakwa districts.

From dawn to nightfall, NAiMOS operatives moved strategically through Akwadum, Ayigbe Town, and Ankaase Osino, dismantling active mining operations and cutting off access to heavy machinery used to destroy forests and pollute key water bodies.

The day’s operation began at Akwadum, where officials stormed an illegal mining site situated close to the Birim River.

Five excavators were intercepted, with three transported under armed escort to Accra.

The remaining two were immobilised on-site, rendering them unusable and immediately halting operations.

Illegal operators fled into nearby bushes upon the task force’s arrival.

At Ayigbe Town, near the fire service station, NAiMOS officers discovered another active site.

Two excavators were disabled by removing their control boards and monitors.

Officers also seized diesel fuel and two industrial water pumps used in ore processing.

Makeshift structures serving as accommodation and processing sheds were pulled down and burnt to prevent the swift re-establishment of the site.

The task force later moved to Ankaase Osino in the Fanteakwa District.

A caretaker, identified as Awini Yahaya, claimed the concession belonged to someone named Victor and alleged ties to Extra Gold Mining Company Limited.

However, no documentation was produced to substantiate the claim.

Officers seized a tributer identification card, two pumping machines, and an unregistered black Toyota Land Cruiser found on the site.

Follow-up checks at previously targeted locations revealed that illegal miners are devising new ways to evade law enforcement.

At Nsutem, immobilised excavators had been secretly moved, taking advantage of enforcement gaps.

Other areas showed that miners had returned to work less than a mile from the Birim and Ayensu rivers, digging deep pits and flooding large sections of land to wash for gold.

Across the inspected areas, NAiMOS documented extensive environmental destruction — including an estimated six-acre expanse of excavated fields and pits over eight feet deep, filled with polluted water.

Officers noted a recurring tactic where miners remove key excavator parts or relocate equipment to roadside areas after receiving tip-offs.

Despite such challenges, NAiMOS says its sustained enforcement is yielding positive results.

Illegal mining activities along critical river stretches have significantly reduced, and environmental officers predict measurable recovery in river water quality if operations continue at the current pace.

Technical specialists on the mission recommended that future immobilisation efforts include removing fuel pumps, in addition to control boards and monitors, to make equipment retrieval far more costly and difficult for operators.

NAiMOS operatives maintained strong control throughout the day’s operation under central direction, reinforcing their position as a frontline force in the national fight against illegal mining.

The operation led to the seizure and disabling of excavators, destruction of illegal shelters and equipment, and confiscation of logistics used to fuel unlawful operations.

The Secretariat has reaffirmed its determination to sustain pressure until illegal mining sites are fully dismantled across the Eastern Region