Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, says government carried out 200 anti-illegal mining operations across six regions during the first half of 2026, resulting in 207 arrests and the seizure of mining equipment and firearms.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series, Mr. Buah said the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) sustained enforcement activities in the Ashanti, Western, Western North, Eastern, Bono/Ahafo and Central regions, which are considered endemic areas for illegal mining.
According to the Minister, the operations covered 53 districts and achieved an operational strike rate of 84.1%.
He said the Secretariat conducted 169 enforcement operations targeting illegal mining sites, forest reserves, river bodies and encroached mining concessions.
Mr. Buah reported that 207 suspects, comprising 161 Ghanaians and 46 foreign nationals, were arrested during the period and handed over to the security services for further action.
He added that between January and June, authorities seized 78 excavators and immobilised 90 others at illegal mining sites.
The operations also led to the destruction of 2,800 “chanfang” machines operating on river bodies and 1,244 makeshift structures linked to illegal mining camps.
In addition, security personnel retrieved 302 water pumps, 31 vehicles, 72 motorbikes, 18 generators, two payloaders, five gold detector machines, three outboard motors, three weighing scales and two mini car-washing machines from active and abandoned illegal mining sites.
According to Mr. Buah, the recovered water pumps have been handed over to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to support the government’s irrigation programme.
The Minister further disclosed that the operations resulted in the recovery of 112 pump-action rifles, two sidearms, two locally manufactured rifles and 1,637 rounds of assorted ammunition from illegal mining enclaves.
He said the weapons and ammunition have been transferred to the Ministry of the Interior for destruction.
