The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) says its intensified operations against illegal mining have led to the removal of changfan machines from the Ankobra River.

NAIMOS spokesperson Paa Kwesi Schandorf disclosed this in an interview with Joy News on October 23, 2026.

He noted that the river, which was previously occupied by thousands of changfan machines used for illegal mining, is now free of the equipment.

According to him, the removal of the machines represents a significant step towards ending the activities responsible for polluting the river and allowing it to recover naturally.

“If you went to the Ankobra River now, for example, you would not spot a single changfan. Previously, there were thousands of them. But within this period, all of them have been cleared because of the combative aggressiveness of NAIMOS,” he stated.

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Schandorf explained that assessing the progress of the fight against illegal mining requires examining whether the activities causing environmental destruction have been halted.

He stressed that although the river may not recover immediately, stopping further pollution would give it an opportunity to gradually heal.

“Now that they have been removed, it means that the pollution would not be happening. So, the river naturally would have an opportunity to heal because of the operation, if they don't return,” he said.

The NAIMOS spokesperson further revealed that the secretariat currently has 13 permanent deployments at locations identified as major hotspots for illegal mining activities.

He explained that these deployments are intended to sustain the gains made through the operations and prevent illegal miners from returning to affected water bodies.




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