Twelve suspected illegal miners were arrested Monday following the destruction of approximately three kilometers of the Takoradi to Nsuta railway line, an incident that has effectively paralyzed Ghana Railway Company’s manganese haulage operations and exposed yet another devastating consequence of illegal mining activities.
The arrests occurred when officials from the sector ministry, accompanied by National Security officers, found the suspects actively working at the site in Akyem, near Nsuta in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality. The operation represents one of the most direct confrontations between authorities and illegal miners whose activities have compromised critical national infrastructure.
The damage was discovered on October 1, 2025, when someone passing through the area alerted the District Manager about the extensive destruction affecting rail tracks, sleepers, and other railway works. What investigators found was worse than initially feared. Large sections of the railway line now hang precariously over pits excavated by the miners, while other portions have been buried under sand deposits from the illegal mining operations.
The Ghana Railway Company estimates it could cost at least $18 million to repair the damaged infrastructure, a staggering figure for an organization already struggling with financial difficulties and salary arrears for its workers.
Emmanuel Aggudey, the Deputy Chief Civil Engineer of the company, explained that the timing couldn’t have been worse. The company had temporarily suspended operations in January 2025 to conduct essential maintenance on locomotives, tracks, sleepers, and wagons after requesting government financial support. That operational pause, ironically intended to improve service, created an opportunity that illegal miners exploited with devastating efficiency.
“Within these few months of trying to put things in order, the galamseyers took advantage of the situation and invaded the lines,” Aggudey told reporters. The engineer expressed frustration that proactive warnings to community leaders and traditional authorities went unheeded. Chiefs in Akyem had promised the railway company they would prevent miners from encroaching on the rail corridor and would ensure degraded areas were reclaimed. Those assurances proved hollow.
Sources indicate the illegal miners obtained land access from local traditional authorities, who reportedly support the round-the-clock mining activities despite their environmental devastation. The miners allegedly secured rights not just to land near the railway but to the Ghana Railway Company’s designated right of way and buffer zones, raising serious questions about oversight and accountability at the community level.
The destruction method employed by these miners is particularly aggressive. They use a technique locally known as “one leg,” which combines high-pressure water pumps with large hoses to wash away earth after initial excavation work. This system reportedly causes environmental damage more rapidly than conventional excavator methods, accelerating the degradation that has left the area’s landscape severely compromised.
The 60-kilometer rail line from Takoradi through Akyem to Nsuta has been crucial for transporting manganese, one of Ghana’s valuable mineral exports. The company had previously contributed significantly to the national economy through these haulage operations, making the current standstill a loss that extends beyond the railway sector.
Aggudey noted that the situation has evolved from a straightforward maintenance challenge into something far more complex and expensive. The illegal mining activities have essentially quadrupled the cost of returning the railway to operational status, placing the company in what he described as a difficult financial position.
The railway engineer maintained that despite knowing about galamsey activities in the vicinity, company officials never anticipated such brazen destruction of national infrastructure. He expressed hope that recent intensified efforts to combat illegal mining across the Western Region and nationwide might finally clear the rail corridor, allowing the company to resume operations.
This incident highlights a broader pattern of infrastructure vulnerability in areas where illegal mining has taken root. It also raises uncomfortable questions about the relationship between traditional authorities and illegal miners, particularly when community leaders appear unable or unwilling to protect national assets within their jurisdictions.
The twelve suspects are expected to face charges related to the destruction of public property and illegal mining. Their arrests signal renewed determination by authorities to enforce laws protecting critical infrastructure, though the broader challenge of preventing similar incidents remains formidable given the financial incentives driving illegal mining and the apparent complicity of some local power structures.
For Ghana Railway Company, the immediate future looks uncertain. With workers’ salaries already in arrears and repair costs far exceeding available resources, the company faces an uphill battle to restore operations on the Takoradi to Nsuta line, even if authorities succeed in permanently clearing illegal miners from the railway corridor.