A joint anti-illegal mining task force has arrested two Chinese nationals during a dawn operation targeting organised illegal mining (galamsey) activities along the Dankai River corridor in Sanfo Adiam, Amansie East.
The operation, conducted by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) between 4 am and 7 am on Sunday, May 24, 2026, followed what officials described as credible intelligence on ongoing illegal mining activities along the river.
According to NAIMOS, the joint team mobilised from the Manso Adubia operational base in the pre-dawn hours, using the cover of darkness and the element of surprise to intercept miners before they could abandon the site.
Operatives said they found several individuals actively engaged in illegal mining along the river when they arrived at the location.
“A number of Ghanaian operators were sighted at a distance, one of whom was observed wielding a pump action firearm,” the statement said.
It added that several suspects, including the armed individual, fled into nearby bushes upon seeing the taskforce, while two Chinese nationals attempted to escape but were chased and arrested.
The suspects were identified as Lu Honggeng, 53, and Nong Zisun, 41.
Authorities said the two men have been transported to the NAIMOS Secretariat in Accra for further investigations and onward handover to the Ghana Immigration Service.
NAIMOS described the environmental destruction at the site as alarming, saying illegal miners had blocked and diverted portions of the Dankai River into an artificial dam to facilitate mining operations.
“The deliberate reconfiguration of the natural flow of the Dankai represents a profound assault on the hydrological integrity of the river and on the rights of downstream communities that depend on its waters,” the statement said.
Officials also raised concerns over the growing security risks associated with illegal mining sites after one of the fleeing suspects was seen carrying a pump-action firearm.
“The presence of a pump action firearm in the hands of one of the fleeing operators further reaffirms the hardening security profile of illegal mining sites,” the statement added.
The Secretariat said the illegal damming and diversion of the river had been disrupted and assured the public that sustained operations would continue in the Amansie East enclave and other affected areas until degraded water bodies are restored.
NAIMOS further warned illegal miners to desist from activities that continue to destroy forests and pollute rivers across the country.
