The National Anti‑Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has assured that all excavators seized during anti‑illegal mining operations remain intact and secured, pending Government’s decision on their disposal.
The assurance follows public concerns about the status of equipment confiscated during enforcement activities.
Speaking at an editors’ forum in Accra, Colonel Dominic Buah, Director of Operations at NAIMOS, said 94 excavators had been seized, nearly 3,000 illegal mining sites destroyed, and 237 individuals arrested, the majority being foreign nationals.
“Every excavator seized by NAIMOS is intact… the ministry will render account, and the government will take a decision on what to do,” he stated.
Col. Buah said the operations had significantly reduced the presence of heavy machinery at illegal mining sites.
“We used to meet 10, 20 excavators, but now we hardly meet any… the ones you meet there, they are already immobilised,” he said.
Col. Buah explained that where removal was not immediately possible, operatives disabled the machines on site to prevent further use, though illegal miners sometimes attempted repairs.
He said the Secretariat had adopted measures to repurpose confiscated assets to prevent their return to illegal mining.
Pumping machines seized were being redirected for agricultural use through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, with some already released to farmers.
Seized vehicles were being integrated into state operations after due processes, while scrap metal recovered from mining sites was being cleared from waterways in collaboration with the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation.
Col. Buah said teams were working along major rivers, including the Ankobra, to remove damaged metallic debris left behind by illegal mining.
“They are packing all the damaged… metal fabrications on the waterway, and we move diligently from one water body to the other,” he said.
Col. Buah raised concerns about security, disclosing that 59 weapons, mostly pump‑action guns, had been seized from illegal miners.
“When they have them in their hands, any provocation, they will fire… we have the right to self‑defence,” he cautioned.
Despite the progress, Col. Buah said the fight against illegal mining was ongoing, with plans to expand permanent deployments and intensify operations across key waterways.
“We are not out of the woods yet, but we are focused and dedicated to getting this problem solved,” he said.
Col. Buah reiterated a warning to illegal miners to desist, stressing that enforcement would continue as Government rolled out alternative livelihood programmes, including cooperative mining initiatives.
Illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, continues to pose environmental and economic threats, including pollution of major rivers, destruction of forest reserves and loss of arable land.
NAIMOS, established in 2025, is mandated to coordinate anti‑illegal mining operations, protect water bodies and forests, and support efforts to restore degraded lands.
