Thirteen suspected illegal miners were rounded up at Osino in the Fanteakwa South District of the Eastern Region on Friday, September 25, 2026, in an operation carried out by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS). The arrests were made as part of the government's efforts to crack down on galamsey, or illegal small-scale mining. The suspects are currently being held as the government considers charges.
The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Paa Kwasi Schandorf, stated that the prosecution files for the arrested suspects are currently with the Attorney General's Office. He said that office would issue updates as the legal process moves forward, and stressed that the government intends to apply the law to everyone involved in illegal mining, regardless of who they are.
According to Schandorf, no one who has been arrested, named, or otherwise implicated in galamsey activity will be allowed to escape justice, and the law would be allowed to run its full course. This statement comes as critics have repeatedly pointed out that despite the frequency of raids and arrests, few cases have actually resulted in successful prosecutions.
The Osino arrests are the latest in a string of enforcement actions NAIMOS has carried out through 2026 as part of the government's stated push against illegal mining. The government's efforts to combat galamsey have been ongoing, with NAIMOS working alongside security agencies to identify and apprehend illegal miners.
A separate scandal rocked confidence in the mining sector's regulatory oversight when it was reported that only one of six foreign-owned mining firms operating in the Ahafo Region held a valid permit. This revelation has since prompted calls for stronger regional and continental oversight, including a push for a Pan-African mining charter.
Galamsey has for years been blamed for polluting rivers, destroying farmland, and undermining formal mining revenue that would otherwise flow to state coffers through bodies like the Minerals Commission. The human toll of the sector was also underscored when two miners died after being trapped in a Juaboso pit for hours.
The Lands Ministry has not given a specific timeline for when charges or court dates might be announced in the Osino case, saying only that the Attorney General's Office would provide updates as the legal process progresses. The government faces a challenge in turning the arrests into convictions, a hurdle that has tripped up previous galamsey crackdowns.
Key points
- The government of Ghana vows to prosecute all individuals involved in galamsey.
- Thirteen suspected illegal miners were arrested in Osino, Ghana.
- The cases of the arrested suspects are currently with the Attorney General's Office.
