The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has launched a crackdown on illegal mining in Osino, Eastern Region, Ghana. On September 25, 2026, NAIMOS arrested 12 suspected illegal miners and destroyed equipment found at the site. This operation is part of the government's ongoing efforts to tackle illegal mining, also known as galamsey, which poses a threat to communities and the environment.
According to NAIMOS Spokesperson, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, the operation was a follow-up to a similar exercise conducted at the same location just days earlier. Despite the initial success, the task force found that the illegal miners had returned to the site. Schandorf stated that the recurrence demonstrates the need for a permanent security presence at illegal mining hotspots.
Among the arrested miners was a 15-year-old boy named Bernard, who claimed it was his first time at the site and that he was brought there to work and raise money to support his education. Bernard is from Navrongo and said he started work at the site that morning. The miners' claims highlight the complexities of addressing illegal mining, which often involves individuals seeking livelihoods.
Schandorf emphasized that the situation reinforces the government's strategy of maintaining permanent deployments in areas affected by illegal mining. He noted that the task force had already flushed out illegal miners from the area several days earlier, but their return demonstrates the difficulty of sustaining the gains of periodic operations.
NAIMOS says the government intends to invest more resources into permanent deployment arrangements to prevent illegal miners from returning to cleared sites. Schandorf also called for stronger local enforcement, arguing that communities with Police stations should be able to respond quickly to illegal mining activities.
The NAIMOS spokesperson acknowledged the support of the police, National Security, and other state agencies in the ongoing operations. However, he emphasized that more effort is required from all stakeholders, including residents of affected communities. Local intelligence remains an important component of the operations, although communities are often divided over illegal mining.
The latest operation in Osino, including the arrests and destruction of mining equipment, aims to disrupt the activities and prevent the miners from immediately returning to the site. The persistent nature of galamsey means that the fight cannot be left solely to national agencies, and a collaborative approach is necessary to address this national concern.
Key points
- NAIMOS has arrested 12 suspected illegal miners in Osino and destroyed their equipment as part of the government's efforts to tackle galamsey.
- The operation highlights the need for a permanent security presence at illegal mining hotspots to prevent the recurrence of such activities.
- The government intends to invest more resources into permanent deployment arrangements to prevent illegal miners from returning to cleared sites.
