The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), in collaboration with the Blue Water Guards, has carried out a surprise operation against illegal miners along the Ankobra River at Agbanzie in the Nzema East District.
The dawn raid, conducted between 8:00 a.m. and 11:20 a.m. on Thursday, 12 February 2026, followed intelligence that two excavators had been deployed close to the river.
As the team approached the site, they intercepted an excavator being moved toward the river. On sighting the taskforce, operators abandoned the machine. Officials immediately immobilised it by removing the monitor and electronic jumper to prevent it from being driven away.
At the main mining site, two SDLG excavators fitted with Chanfang equipment were found actively operating along the riverbank. Preliminary checks revealed that operators had removed key control components, apparently to frustrate seizure efforts.
With no lowbed trucks available, the taskforce dismantled critical parts of the machines, including system units, fuse boxes, monitors, oil pumps, a gear lever, and batteries, rendering them permanently inoperable.
Investigations showed that illegal mining activities were occurring within about 50 metres of the Ankobra River, leading to severe water pollution. Large areas of arable land have also been damaged by deep excavations.
During extended patrols, about 60 illegal miners were spotted on the opposite bank. They fled on seeing the officers. The team, with the support of the Blue Water Guards, secured a canoe to cross the river and destroy additional illegal mining equipment.
NAIMOS says it is intensifying its nationwide crackdown on illegal mining and has urged local authorities and security agencies to fully activate their monitoring responsibilities.
The Ankobra River remains one of several important water bodies under threat from illegal mining in Ghana.
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