Two Chinese nationals have been picked up by a joint anti-illegal mining task force during a pre-dawn galamsey swoop along the Dankai River at Sanfo Adiam in Amansie East District.

An adomonline.com report on May 25, 2026, indicated that the operation was carried out between 4:00 am and 7:00 am on Sunday, May 24, 2026, by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).

“The presence of a pump-action firearm in the hands of one of the fleeing operators further reaffirms the hardening security profile of illegal mining sites,” NAIMOS said.

The task force moved out from the Manso Adubia base before dawn, in order to catch miners off guard.

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On arrival, they met several people actively mining along the river.

While some Ghanaian operators fled into nearby bushes, with one spotted carrying a pump-action gun, two Chinese nationals who tried to escape were chased and arrested.

The suspects have been named as Lu Honggeng, 53, and Nong Zisun, 41.

They have been moved to the NAIMOS Secretariat in Accra for further probe before being handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service.

Officials described the damage at the site as severe, saying illegal miners had blocked and diverted parts of the Dankai River into an artificial dam to aid their work.

The Secretariat said the illegal damming and diversion had been stopped and pledged to sustain operations in Amansie East and other hotspots until polluted water bodies are restored.

It also urged illegal miners to stop destroying forests and contaminating rivers across the country.

NAD/VPO