In its ongoing nationwide clampdown on illegal mining, the Ghana Police Service has intensified operations, leading to the arrest of 208 suspects and the retrieval of significant quantities of heavy-duty equipment used in the destructive activity.
The move, according to the Police, forms part of a broader strategy to curb environmental degradation, protect water bodies, and reinforce law and order in affected communities.
A press statement released by the Service outlined recent achievements in the fight against illegal mining, often referred to locally as galamsey.
The Police highlighted various successful anti-galamsey operations carried out between March 2025 and the present across multiple regions where illegal mining remains rampant.
“In a special anti-galamsey operation at Samreboi, along the Tano River, Wassa Dunkwa, Tigarikrom and surrounding communities in the Western Region, the Police have so far arrested fifty-eight (58) suspects comprising fifty (50) Ghanaians and eight (8) Chinese in connection with illegal mining activities and retrieved eighty-five (85) excavators and three (3) bulldozers.”
Ghana Police Service
These Western Region arrests mark one of the most substantial anti-galamsey busts in recent months, highlighting the magnitude of foreign involvement, particularly from Chinese nationals, in Ghana’s illicit mining economy.
Beyond the Western Region, several other Police Commands have reported notable successes in their local anti-mining enforcement.
In the Western Regional Command alone, authorities arrested an additional 19 suspects. They also confiscated three excavators and three pump-action guns, among other illegal items believed to be used in the mining operations.
Up north, the Upper West Regional Police Command apprehended seven Ghanaian suspects.
The operation led to the seizure of eleven changfangs — floating platforms used for illegal river dredging — and three motorbikes. These machines have become symbolic of illegal mining’s devastating impact on Ghana’s inland water systems.
The Eastern South Regional Police Command also weighed in, announcing the arrest of 24 suspects, which included one Burkinabe national.
In addition to the arrests, authorities retrieved five excavators, three single-barrel guns, and a pump-action gun.
These firearms point to the increasingly violent nature of some illegal mining ventures, especially in areas with territorial disputes over mining concessions.
Illegal Mining Sting Yields Positive Results
Additionally, the statement highlighted that the Western Central Regional Police Command carried out one of the most significant regional operations, apprehending 85 suspects, including nine Chinese nationals.
Authorities also seized eleven excavators along with various other tools linked to mining activities.
According to officials, such expansive operations underscore the intricate and transnational dimensions of illegal mining in Ghana.
From the Eastern North Regional Police Command came further arrests, with 15 individuals taken into custody, including one Chinese national. Authorities also recovered an assortment of high-value equipment, such as four excavator control boards, nine monitors, and a pistol.
“In all, a total of 208 suspects have been arrested and 99 excavators, 3 bulldozers, 4 pump-action guns, 3 single-barrel guns, 1 pistol, 11 changfangs together with several other exhibits including vehicles, motorbikes, tricycles, generators, gold detectors and pumping machines have been received by the Police.”
Ghana Police Service
The Ghana Police Service reiterated that all suspects are undergoing legal procedures, stressing that these operations are in strict adherence to the rule of law. The Service aims to ensure justice is served without compromise.
The fight against illegal mining has been a major national concern in recent years. Galamsey has been blamed for widespread deforestation, the destruction of arable farmland, and the severe pollution of major water bodies like the Pra, Ankobra, and Offin Rivers.
The government has declared it a national emergency, with multiple stakeholders, including the military, civil society, traditional leaders, and now the Police taking an increasingly aggressive stance against the menace.
While the environmental toll of illegal mining remains a significant concern, so too does the challenge of enforcement.
Critics have long argued that arrests alone are insufficient without successful prosecutions and a tighter regulatory framework to prevent the re-emergence of illegal operations.
The Police, however, are confident that their ongoing work will contribute meaningfully to reversing the trend.
In its statement, the Service assured Ghanaians of its unflinching commitment to “preserving the country’s natural resources and ensuring that lawless mining activities are brought to an end.”
With the operation still ongoing, observers anticipate even more arrests and equipment seizures in the coming weeks.
The scale and coordination of these recent efforts may suggest that authorities are determined to go beyond rhetoric in the fight against illegal mining — a fight that continues to shape Ghana’s environmental and security landscape.
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