By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Management of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) says it has intercepted 1,070 additional Chanfang machines concealed in separate containers at the Tema Port on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
EPA officials describe the scale of the latest interception as alarming, particularly as the machines were reportedly bound for mining districts across the country.
The Authority said it is intensifying surveillance at the ports and tightening controls on the importation of Chanfang machines as part of efforts to curb environmental degradation, especially the pollution of major water bodies.
Officials maintain that Chanfang machines are a major driver of the destruction of water bodies through illegal and unregulated mining activities. They insist the EPA will not relent in preventing the smuggling of such equipment into the country without proper regulation and oversight.
According to the Authority, the crackdown aligns with its ongoing pilot initiative to restore polluted rivers. Recently, the Authority deployed ionic nano-copper technology to treat the heavily polluted River Birim at an estimated cost of $200,000 per kilometre.
The latest seizure comes just weeks after the Authority uncovered more than 200 Chanfang machines hidden in 14 shipping containers in a similar intelligence-led operation.
