By Felix Cofie
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), working together with the Blue Water Guards, has carried out a coordinated surprise operation against illegal miners along the Ankobra River at Agbanzie in the Nzema East District.
The early-morning raid, conducted between 8:00 a.m. and 11:20 a.m. on Thursday, 12 February 2026, followed intelligence reports that illegal miners had deployed two excavators along the river body.
Excavators Abandoned as Taskforce Advanced
While approaching the site, the taskforce intercepted an excavator being moved toward the river. On spotting the team, operators fled the scene, abandoning the machine. Officers immediately immobilised it by removing its monitor and electronic jumper to prevent it from being driven into the forest.
At the main mining site, two nearly new SDLG excavators fitted with Chanfang equipment were found actively working along the river.
Preliminary assessments revealed that the operators had deliberately removed key control components in an apparent attempt to frustrate seizure and relocation efforts.
In the absence of lowbed transport services, the taskforce dismantled and removed critical parts to permanently disable the machines. Items removed included:
• Two system units
• Two fuse boxes
• Two monitors
• Two oil pumps
• One gear lever
• Two batteries
Severe Environmental Impact
Investigations showed that the illegal miners had been operating within approximately 50 metres of the Ankobra River, significantly polluting the water body through unsafe mining practices.
Large portions of arable land in the enclave have also been severely degraded due to deep excavations created by the illegal activities.
Additional Equipment Destroyed
During extended patrols along the river, the taskforce sighted about 60 illegal miners actively operating on the opposite bank. The suspects fled upon noticing the team’s presence.
With support from the Blue Water Guards, officers secured a canoe to access the riverbank, where additional illegal mining equipment was located and destroyed to prevent further operations.
Call for Stronger Local Oversight
As NAIMOS intensifies its nationwide crackdown on illegal mining, the Secretariat has emphasised the need for local authorities and security agencies to fully activate their mandated surveillance and monitoring responsibilities to complement ongoing enforcement efforts.
The Ankobra River remains one of several critical water bodies under threat from illegal mining activities across the country.
