Police in the Eastern South Regional Command are investigating five men arrested for allegedly posing as officials of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and extorting money from miners, authorities said.
The suspects, Moses Tapiam (43), Christopher Amakoh (29), Casimir Nunekpeku (29), Wisdom Miwonuko (35), and Paul Agbanu (53), were taken into custody on Friday, January 2, 2026, after reports that they were moving from one mining site to another in Akwadum, near Kibi in the Abuakwa South Municipality, demanding money while dressed in security-style uniforms.
According to a police press statement dated January 3, the men claimed to be NAIMOS operatives from Accra. They were arrested by a NAIMOS team at Akwadum while travelling in a Mitsubishi 4×4 pick-up with registration number GS 536–25 and were subsequently handed over to the Eastern South Regional Criminal Investigation Department in Kibi.
Police cautioned residents against impersonating security officers, warning that the act constitutes a criminal offence. The command assured the public that anyone holding themselves out as security officials without authorisation would be arrested and prosecuted.
The suspects remain in police custody assisting with investigations and are expected to be arraigned before court in due course, police said.