The Western Regional Security Council (REGSEC), in a bold crackdown on illegal mining activities, has confiscated eight excavators, seven pump-action guns, sixty-six cartridges, and four mobile phones from galamsey operators working dangerously close to the Ankobra River in the Evalue Ajomoro Gwira Constituency.

Led by Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson, the operation was launched on Tuesday, May 20, with the support of a joint task force comprising personnel from the Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Police Service, Takoradi Air Force Base, Western Naval Command, and the Second Infantry Battalion.

The task force also destroyed several water pumping machines and makeshift shelters used by the miners along illegal mining hotspots in Ampasie, Atongo Junction, Petro, and Dominase.

Speaking after the operation, Brigadier-General Musa Whajah (Rtd.), the Western Region’s National Security Liaison Officer, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to restoring the Ankobra River and its surrounding environment.

“At the end of the operation, we seized eight excavators, seven pump-action guns, sixty-six cartridges, and four mobile phones for further investigation.

This is not a one-off. We’ll continue with more operations, including deploying canoes to patrol the Ankobra and Pra Rivers to ensure they return to their natural state,” he said.

However, Brig. Gen. Whajah acknowledged that logistics continue to be a major challenge in sustaining the fight, though he emphasised that this would not derail the mission.

“The devastation along the riverbanks can slow our operations, but we are fully committed.

We are calling for more logistical support to scale up our efforts,” he added.

A visit to the affected areas revealed extensive environmental degradation, with large tracts of farmland and cocoa plantations destroyed in the miners’ pursuit of gold.

Alarmingly, some mining sites are located less than a kilometre from the Ankobra River, putting the vital water body at high risk of contamination.

Residents in affected communities expressed frustration over the environmental toll and lack of local benefits.

Kwasi Sarboah, a resident of Ampasie, claimed the illegal miners are largely outsiders and do not employ local youth.

“They extract the sand and even sell it back to us for construction. Our people aren’t getting jobs from this. Instead, we’re losing our farms and clean water,” he lamented.

Ekua Asantewaa, a local food vendor, said access to clean drinking water has become increasingly difficult due to the polluted river.

The operation is part of a broader government initiative to clamp down on illegal mining across the Western Region and safeguard vital water bodies and farmlands under threat.