National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) intensified its crackdown in the Eastern Region on December 6, 2025, dismantling illegal mining operations along the Birim and Ayensu river corridors.
From early morning to late evening, the task force carried out coordinated raids at Akwadum, Ayigbe Town, and Ankaase Osino in the Abuakwa South and Fanteakwa districts, targeting active sites and heavy machinery used in the destruction of forest reserves and water bodies.
The operation began at Akwadum, where officers raided an illegal mining site close to the Birim River and seized five excavators. Three machines were hauled to Accra on low-bed trucks under armed escort, while two others were immobilised on site, forcing an immediate shutdown of mining activity and causing operators to flee.
At Ayigbe Town, near the fire service area, the task force uncovered another illegal operation. Two excavators were disabled by removing their control boards and monitors. Officers also seized diesel fuel and two industrial pumping machines supplying water to processing pits. Temporary shelters and processing structures at the site were demolished and set ablaze to prevent a swift return by the operators.
The operation then moved to Ankaase Osino in the Fanteakwa District. A site caretaker, identified as Awini Yahaya, claimed the concession belonged to a person known as Victor and was linked to Extra Gold Mining Company Limited. However, no valid documentation was produced. NAIMOS officers seized a tributer identification card, two pumping machines, and an unregistered black Toyota Land Cruiser found within the site.
Follow-up inspections revealed evolving tactics by illegal miners. At Nsutem, excavators previously immobilised during earlier operations had been secretly removed by their owners, exposing enforcement gaps exploited by operators. Elsewhere, while some miners had abandoned their sites, others were found operating less than a mile from the Birim and Ayensu rivers, digging deep pits and flooding large areas for gold washing.
NAIMOS documented widespread environmental damage across the affected sites, including excavation fields covering about six acres and water-filled pits deeper than eight feet, heavily contaminated by mining activity. Officers also observed a recurring pattern in which operators dismantle excavator parts or move machinery to roadside areas upon receiving tip-offs to avoid seizure.
Despite these challenges, NAIMOS reported a marked reduction in illegal activity along critical river stretches, noting that sustained pressure could gradually improve water quality in the coming months.
Technical officers attached to the operation recommended that future immobilisation exercises include the removal of fuel pumps, in addition to control boards and monitors, to further frustrate attempts to recover and reuse seized machinery.
The task force maintained firm control over all operational areas throughout the day under central coordination. By the end of Day Three, the operation had resulted in the seizure or disabling of multiple excavators, the destruction of illegal structures, and the confiscation of key equipment, reinforcing NAIMOS’ resolve to dismantle illegal mining networks in the Eastern Region.