The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) Task Force has carried out a major anti-galamsey operation in the Western Region, targeting notorious illegal small-scale mining hideouts and criminal bases.
According to the Minister of Government Communications, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, who confirmed the operation on his official Facebook page, the raid took place on Monday, October 5, 2025, in “Gangway,” a crime-prone community in Aboso, within the Prestea-Huni Valley District.
During the operation, several makeshift structures used as hideouts and drug dens were set ablaze, while illegal mining equipment was also destroyed.
“Several hundred locals, mostly illegal miners, surrendered to the Task Force. These individuals were engaged in illegal mining, trading, narcotics use, and gambling,” Mr. Ofosu Kwakye disclosed.
He added that eleven parcels of Indian hemp and other hard drugs were seized during the raid. The minister emphasized that this latest operation follows a similar crackdown in June 2025, where NAIMOS warned galamsey operators and criminal gangs to vacate the area — a warning that was largely ignored.
Operation Extended to Tarkwa Nsuaem
While en route to Gangway, the NAIMOS Task Force also conducted simultaneous anti-galamsey operations in the Dadwen-Domping areas of the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality.
The team reported the following outcomes:
- Seizure of Equipment: 15 water pumping machines and one generator set were confiscated.
- Destruction of Equipment: Three chanfang machines and several makeshift mining structures were destroyed.
The Task Force reaffirmed its commitment to combating illegal mining and related criminal activities across the region, stressing that such operations will continue until the menace of galamsey is eradicated.
“The NAIMOS Task Force remains committed to combating illegal mining and its associated social vices in the Western Region,” the statement concluded.
