The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has uncovered and dismantled an extensive network of illegal mining activities operating on the Pra River in the Eastern Region, destroying dozens of mining platforms and equipment used to pollute the water body.
The intelligence-led operation was carried out on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, by a joint task force made up of NAIMOS personnel and the Akyem-Oda Blue Water Guards. The operation targeted illegal mining activities along the Pra River between Ofoase Awona and Nsese communities in the Akyemansa District.
According to NAIMOS, the operation was conducted under strict secrecy to verify intelligence reports and disrupt entrenched galamsey activities that have severely polluted the Pra River and contributed to the shutdown of some water treatment plants.
The task force began the operation from Akyem Ofoase Awona, trekking approximately 14 kilometres on foot through cocoa farms to access the riverbank.
Upon reaching the Pra River, the team encountered about 50 illegal miners actively engaged in mining operations directly on the river. The miners fled upon sighting the task force, swimming across the river to the far bank near Nsese to evade arrest.
The joint task force subsequently dismantled and destroyed all illegal mining infrastructure found at the site. In total, 75 dredging Changfang platforms and 50 gold-washing platforms were destroyed, while 150 Changfang machines located on the riverbed were set ablaze. Several pipelines and water hoses connected directly to the river and used for mining activities were also destroyed.
Following the operation, NAIMOS personnel engaged residents of the affected communities, educating them on the environmental, health and livelihood risks associated with illegal mining. Residents expressed appreciation for the operation and called for sustained enforcement to help restore the Pra River and protect their communities.
NAIMOS noted that the existence of such well-organised illegal mining networks operating openly on water bodies, despite the presence of local security and administrative structures, raises serious security concerns.
The Secretariat has called for a reorientation and strengthening of security and administrative arrangements in remote communities to curb the activities of emboldened criminal networks involved in illegal mining.
