Copyright ghanaguardian
In what authorities describe as one of the most daring anti-galamsey operations in recent months, the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has arrested 10 heavily armed Chinese nationals believed to be part of a sophisticated illegal mining syndicate operating deep within the Oda River Forest Reserve at Abusa in the Ashanti Region. The joint operation, conducted on October 23, 2025, involved collaboration between NAIMOS and the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC). Acting on actionable intelligence, the task force stormed the forest reserve and uncovered a sprawling network of illegal mining camps equipped with heavy machinery, makeshift accommodation, and defensive weapons. Authorities say the arrested foreigners were found with an assortment of arms, including pistols, a pump-action shotgun, ammunition, handcuffs, and a toy pistol, all of which have been seized as evidence. The suspects reportedly wore khaki uniforms and claimed to be operating under the authority of a certain “Major Jabari”, a name now central to ongoing investigations. During the same operation, nine other armed individuals were also arrested for posing as National Security operatives, raising fresh concerns about the infiltration of illegal mining operations by impostors and rogue elements within the security structure. According to NAIMOS, the impostors were apprehended while attempting to provide protection for the illegal miners. Perhaps most shocking was an alleged attempt by some collaborators of the arrested Chinese nationals to bribe the taskforce with GH₵120,000 to secure their release. NAIMOS confirmed that the money was seized and those involved in the bribery attempt were taken into custody. The taskforce also discovered that the illegal miners had set up a semi-permanent settlement within the forest — complete with wooden structures, tents, and operational sheds. Officials say the site was razed to the ground to prevent its reoccupation and to disrupt any possible return of the syndicate. A Persistent National Crisis The arrest marks another chapter in Ghana’s prolonged battle against galamsey, a practice that continues to devastate river bodies, forests, and farmlands. The Oda River Forest Reserve, in particular, has long been under siege from illegal mining operations, despite repeated government interventions. The infiltration of foreign nationals, especially from China, has been a major feature of the illegal mining trade in Ghana over the past decade. Many of these foreign miners operate in collaboration with local networks, exploiting weaknesses in law enforcement and gaps in border control to smuggle in machinery and chemicals such as mercury, which cause extensive environmental damage.
