The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has intensified operations along the Tano River at Asemkrom in the Aowin District of the Western North Region, returning just days after an earlier major operation to disrupt persistent illegal in-stream mining.
The latest operation on Sunday, October 18 followed enforcement action conducted on 15 October, during which the NAIMOS Task Force identified extensive illegal mining activities involving platforms and chanfang machines operating directly on the Tano River near the Jema-Asekrom Forest Reserve.
During the 15 October operation, the Task Force destroyed 61 chanfang machines, recovered six water pumps and a generator, and arrested three suspected operators, who were subsequently handed over to the Police for further investigation.
Despite the earlier enforcement action, follow-up riverine patrols on 18 October revealed that illegal in-stream mining was still taking place along parts of the river.
Several platforms and chanfang machines were again found operating on the water, underscoring the determination of illegal miners to return to the river after security operations.
NAIMOS personnel immediately moved against the operations and destroyed an additional 31 chanfangmachines.
Two outboard motors associated with the activities were also seized.
The two operations therefore destroyed 92 chanfang machines within four days, significantly degrading the immediate capacity of illegal miners operating along that section of the Tano River.
NAIMOS personnel observed that ongoing in-stream mining has severely affected the river, with increased turbidity and visible environmental degradation along affected sections.
The activities also pose a continuing threat to the adjoining forest environment and communities that depend on the river system.
The rapid return of illegal miners after the initial operation reinforces the need for sustained riverine patrols, continuous monitoring and repeated enforcement action to prevent cleared sites from being reoccupied.
NAIMOS will therefore maintain pressure along the Tano River and other identified hotspots, while strengthening engagement with communities to discourage local participation in illegal mining and encourage the timely reporting of suspicious activities.
The operations form part of Operation WATER SHIELD, NAIMOS’ sustained campaign to protect Ghana’s strategic water bodies by denying illegal miners access to rivers and riverbanks, dismantling mining infrastructure and preventing the re-establishment of illegal mining activities in cleared areas.
NAIMOS remains committed to protecting the Tano River and its tributaries and will continue targeted operations against illegal mining activities that threaten the country’s water resources and environment.