The National Anti-illegal Mining Secretariat (NAIMOS) in Ghana has intercepted 65 brand-new Changfang machines marketed as fufu pounders but suspected of being destined for illegal mining on rivers in the Western and Western North regions. These machines were seized in the Nzema East and Aowin municipalities. According to NAIMOS, the machines are often fitted onto makeshift platforms that sit directly on waterbodies, where they are used to churn sediment in the hunt for gold.
NAIMOS reported that two people involved in transporting and receiving the equipment have been arrested and handed over to the Enchi Police Station for further investigation. The seized machines and the vehicles used to carry them have been secured pending investigations into their source, their intended destination, and any links to illegal mining activity in the targeted areas. This operation is part of NAIMOS' efforts to curb illegal mining, known locally as galamsey.
The Changfang engine is commonly associated with fufu-pounding machines, but NAIMOS said most of those seized are not meant for that purpose at all. Instead, they are used for grinding sediment in search of gold. This crackdown is part of a broader effort by NAIMOS to target the equipment trade that feeds illegal mining rather than mining sites themselves.
This is not an isolated incident, as NAIMOS impounded a truck loaded with 22 brand-new Changfang machines at Eshaem in the Nzema East Municipality just days earlier. The secretariat has carried out several operations in recent weeks to combat the supply of equipment to illegal miners. These seizures build on an enforcement push NAIMOS began late last month.
The secretariat had earlier reported destroying 28 Changfang machines and turning its attention to the networks that supply such equipment. NAIMOS has also been engaging host communities directly, with one miner warning publicly that galamsey sites have become death traps for those who work in them. The agency's task force intercepted the latest consignment while travelling from Enchi towards Juaboso for a separate anti-illegal mining operation.
According to NAIMOS, the pattern of repeated interceptions points to organised supply chains capable of replacing machinery as fast as enforcement teams destroy it. The agency said investigations into the source and intended buyers of the latest haul are ongoing. NAIMOS has not said how many such machines have entered the Western and Western North regions in total, nor who is believed to be financing or coordinating the supply network.
The seizures highlight the challenges faced by authorities in combating illegal mining in Ghana. NAIMOS' efforts to curb the supply of equipment to illegal miners are ongoing, with the secretariat working to disrupt organised supply chains and bring those involved to justice. The agency's operations aim to prevent the use of such equipment for illegal mining activities that harm the environment and local communities.
Key points
- NAIMOS seized 65 Changfang machines suspected for illegal mining in Ghana's Western and Western North regions.
- The machines were marketed as fufu pounders but are used for grinding sediment in search of gold.
- The secretariat arrested two people and is investigating the source and intended buyers of the machines.
