National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has apprehended five individuals in the Abuakwa South Municipality for allegedly impersonating security operatives to extort money from small-scale miners.
The suspects, Moses Tapiam (43), Christopher Amakor (29), Casimir Nunekpeku (29), Wisdom Miwonuko (35), and Paul Agbanu (53) were caught operating in Akwadum near Kibi while wearing unauthorized security uniforms.
This decisive action by the state’s specialized anti-galamsey task force highlights a growing trend of criminal syndicates exploiting the national crackdown on illegal mining to fleece vulnerable operators in the extractive sector.
“Residents especially those who impersonate security officers are advised to desist from the act since it constitutes an offence. The public is assured that persons holding themselves as such will be arrested and prosecuted.”
Ghana Police Service
According to preliminary reports from the Eastern South Regional Police Command, the quintet had been moving between various mining sites in a Mitsubishi 4×4 Pick-Up, bearing registration number GS 536-25, under the guise of being NAIMOS officials dispatched from Accra.
Their operations focused on the Akwadum enclave, where they allegedly used the fear of state-sanctioned arrests to demand illegal payments from local miners.
Upon their arrest by the genuine NAIMOS team, the suspects were handed over to the Regional Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Kibi for further processing.
“The five suspects are in police custody assisting with the investigation and will be arraigned in due course,” the police confirmed, signaling a zero-tolerance approach to those who undermine the integrity of the extractive regulatory framework through fraudulent representation.
Impact of Fraudulent Actors on the Galamsey Menace
In the complex landscape of Ghana’s extractive industry, the presence of “security ghosts” impersonators who mimic official task forces poses a severe impediment to the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
These impostors do not only drain the financial resources of miners but also create a deep-seated atmosphere of mistrust between the mining communities and the state.
When legitimate regulators like the Minerals Commission or NAIMOS enter the field, they often meet resistance or “intelligence leaks” from locals who cannot distinguish between authorized officers and “fake operatives” seeking a payday.
This blurred line between enforcement and extortion allows actual illegal mining to flourish, as miners become more preoccupied with paying off predators than adhering to environmental and safety protocols.
Furthermore, the activities of these five suspects represent a significant security breach that compromises the “Operation Halt” initiative.
By utilizing specialized vehicles and uniforms, such syndicates effectively hijack the authority of the state for private gain, often leaving a trail of human rights abuses in their wake.
For an extractive expert, it is clear that such acts of impersonation dilute the psychological impact of enforcement; if every man in a uniform is perceived as a potential extortionist, the law loses its deterrent power.
The arrest of Tapiam and his accomplices is, therefore, a vital victory in reclaiming the narrative of the galamsey fight, ensuring that only mandated bodies exercise the power of the state in the sensitive Birim and Abuakwa gold belts.
Strengthening Enforcement Through Judicial Accountability
The successful interception of this group at Akwadum serves as a critical milestone in advancing the efforts to end the galamsey menace.
It sends a stern message to organized crime groups that the Eastern Region is no longer a “safe haven” for masqueraders.
By handing over these individuals to the Regional CID, NAIMOS has demonstrated a commitment to following due process, which is essential for building public confidence in the mining sector’s reform.
Effective prosecution of these suspects will act as a “run-in” deterrent for others who might consider similar ventures, thereby purify the enforcement chain and allow the state to focus its limited resources on actual environmental reclamation and the suppression of illicit mining activities.
As the industry moves toward more transparent mineral governance, the elimination of these middle-tier extortionists is non-negotiable.
The Eastern South Regional Command, led by DSP David Fianko Okyere of the Public Affairs Unit, has indicated that the suspects will soon face the court.
This transition from “field arrest” to “judicial accountability” is what separates professional extractive management from chaotic vigilantism. For the mining communities in Kibi and beyond, this arrest provides a glimmer of hope that the path to legal, sustainable, and regulated small-scale mining will not be blocked by those seeking to profit from the very shadows the state is trying to erase.
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