The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has arrested two Chinese nationals for illegal mining in the Tano Anwia Forest Reserve, Jomoro in the Western North Region.
The operation, conducted on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, uncovered a mining site along the Tano River, with evidence of river diversion and environmental damage.
NAIMOS seized four excavators (three immobilized prior, one by the Task Force), two heavy water pumping machines, 12 makeshift structures, a Toyota Land Cruiser, cash, electronics, and other equipment.
Investigations suggest the Chinese nationals were operating under the guise of the Jomoro Community Mining Project, allegedly with backing from the local chief, and were sponsoring illegal mining activities.
The Task Force has transferred the suspects to NAIMOS Headquarters in Accra for further action and issued a stern warning to all foreign nationals engaging in illegal mining.
In a related operation at Essipong, Western Region, NAIMOS questioned Burkinabe workers at Bugart Mining, with the company owner ordered to report all foreign workers to NAIMOS on October 9, 2025, after a CAT excavator was immobilized.
The operations underscore NAIMOS’s intensified crackdown on illegal mining and foreign involvement in Ghana’s forest reserves and water bodies.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
