In an intensified crackdown on illegal mining activities, a special intelligence-led operation carried out by the Ghana Police Service in the Western Region has led to the arrest of 47 individuals, including eight Chinese nationals.
The operation, which lasted four days, began on April 17, 2025, and targeted mining activities along the Tano River and within the Aboi, Subri, and Nimiri forest reserves near Samreboi.
The police operation is part of renewed efforts by the state to curb the devastating impact of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, on Ghana’s environment, particularly its water bodies and forest reserves.
These illegal activities have been widely blamed for the pollution of major rivers, destruction of forest cover, and loss of livelihoods in mining communities.
The suspects arrested comprise 39 Ghanaians and 8 Chinese nationals.
According to police sources, the arrests were made following sustained surveillance and intelligence gathering in the Samreboi enclave, a known hotspot for illegal mining in the Western Region.
A significant cache of equipment and weapons used in the operations was also seized during the raid.
Among the recovered items are 17 excavators, a bulldozer, four motorbikes, two Toyota Hilux pickup vehicles, one Toyota RAV4, four pump action shotguns, a single-barrel gun, 54 live BB cartridges, and eight water pumping machines believed to be used for mining along riverbanks.
Following their arrest, 41 of the suspects were arraigned before the court on Monday, April 21, 2025.
Out of this number, 29 were remanded into police custody to reappear on April 30, 2025.
The remaining 12 were also remanded and are expected to return to court on May 2, 2025.
Police have indicated that the remaining seven suspects will be put before the court on Tuesday, April 23, 2025.
The arrests come at a time when the government has faced mounting pressure to demonstrate stronger political will in the fight against illegal mining.
Despite previous interventions — including the establishment of an inter-ministerial task force and deployment of military-led Operation Vanguard — the menace of galamsey continues to persist, often fueled by allegations of political interference and local complicity.
In a related move, the Police Administration has announced a reshuffle of some divisional and district commanders operating in known galamsey zones across the Eastern, Western, and Western North regions.
According to the police, this reshuffle is intended to inject fresh momentum and improve accountability in the security sector’s contribution to anti-galamsey enforcement.
The renewed police operation and leadership changes reflect a broader national effort to reclaim degraded lands, protect water bodies, and restore the rule of law in the country’s resource-rich regions.
However, stakeholders argue that without coordinated efforts involving traditional authorities, local assemblies, and political actors, sustainable results may remain elusive.
