A task force from the NAIMOS has carried out an intelligence-led operation to stop illegal miners who had invaded cocoa plantations in Adanse Anomabo, officials said Monday.
The deployment followed petitions from the local Cocoa Farmers Association, who reported that galamsey activities were destroying large sections of their farms. At the illegal mining area known as the Kakra site, the task force found what they described as “massive devastation,” leaving farmers frustrated and distressed.
According to the statement, the miners fled upon the arrival of the team, abandoning tools and equipment. Troops destroyed the items left behind to prevent the illegal operation from resuming.
Six excavators discovered at the site were immobilized because lowbed services were unavailable to transport them off the property. Officers also recovered a pump-action gun and seven cartridges.
The task force demolished several makeshift structures that served as living quarters and hideouts for the illegal miners. Pipe hoses used in mining activities were burned to render them unusable.
NAIMOS officials said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to protect farmlands and curb environmental damage caused by illegal mining across the Ashanti Region. Further actions are expected as investigations continue.