By Felix Cofie
The Ghana Police Service has intensified its nationwide crackdown on illegal mining activities, retrieving 99 excavators and arresting 208 suspects in a series of operations conducted between March 2025 and now.
In one of the major anti-galamsey exercises conducted in Samreboi, along the Tano River, and in areas including Wassa Dunkwa, Tigarikrom and other surrounding communities in the Western Region, police arrested 58 suspects — 50 Ghanaians and 8 Chinese nationals. The operation also led to the retrieval of 85 excavators and 3 bulldozers.
Similar operations carried out by regional police commands across the country have yielded significant results:
• Western Regional Police Command arrested 19 suspects and retrieved 3 excavators and 3 pump-action guns.
• Upper West Regional Police Command arrested 7 Ghanaian suspects and seized 11 ‘changfangs’ and 3 motorbikes.
• Eastern South Regional Police Command apprehended 24 suspects, including one Burkinabe, and retrieved 5 excavators, 3 single-barrel guns, and 1 pump-action gun.
• Western Central Regional Police Command arrested 85 suspects, made up of 76 Ghanaians and 9 Chinese nationals, and retrieved 11 excavators.
• Eastern North Regional Police Command arrested 15 suspects, including one Chinese national, and recovered 4 excavator control boards, 9 monitors, and 1 pistol.
In total, the nationwide operations have resulted in:
• 208 suspects arrested
• 99 excavators retrieved
• 3 bulldozers recovered
• 11 changfangs seized
• 4 pump-action guns, 3 single-barrel guns, and 1 pistol confiscated
• Numerous other items including vehicles, motorbikes, tricycles, generators, gold detectors, and water pumping machines.
The Ghana Police Service emphasized that all suspects are being processed according to the law.
In a statement, the Service reaffirmed its commitment to tackling illegal mining and preserving Ghana’s natural environment:
“We assure the public of our unwavering dedication to fighting illegal mining and protecting our country’s natural resources,” the statement read.The fight against galamsey remains a key national priority, and the Police Service has pledged to maintain pressure on those engaged in the unlawful exploitation of Ghana’s land and water bodies.
