The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has arrested nine Chinese nationals involved in illegal mining activities in the Wassa Akropong area of the Western Region.

In an operational swoop conducted between August 5 and August 7, 2025, the team apprehended the nine individuals—comprising two females and seven males—who were actively engaged in the illegal activity.

The team also seized four excavators, which are currently in the custody of the police.

Other illegal equipment and tools were retrieved from the suspects and subsequently destroyed by the team.

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The arrested individuals have since been transferred to NAIMOS headquarters and handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service for assistance with investigations and to facilitate further action.



This latest development adds to the growing number of arrests and equipment seizures made by NAIMOS since its establishment in March 2025.

Under the leadership of its Director of Operations, the Secretariat, serving as the sole authority for coordinating all anti-illegal mining efforts, has been conducting targeted, intelligence-led swoops and raids as part of the government’s crackdown on illegal mining.

So far, the Secretariat has made significant progress across regions heavily affected by galamsey, which continues to pose a serious threat to the environment.

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Meanwhile, NAIMOS has announced that it will continue its operations in the Amenfi and Wassa areas of the Western Region, in line with its commitment to curbing galamsey, restoring polluted water bodies, and reclaiming lands devastated by illegal mining.



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